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London Hearts & Spurs FC donate Defib to Havering Royals Youth

26 Jan 2023




 

Havering Royals Youth FC has received a donated, lifesaving heart defibrillator thanks to our Charity Grant Funding and the fundraising event carried out by Dr Gant at Spurs FC, who undertook the Ride for Ugo Fundraiser.

Highly respected former Premier League player, England international and progressive young coach, Ugo Ehiogu passed away from cardiac arrest in 2017.

Last April saw the fifth anniversary of Ugo’s passing and to celebrate his life, over five days, Laurence cycled between all the football clubs that Ugo played for. Laurence and his wife raised an incredible £18,085 to provide heart defibrillators and CPR training to grassroots football.


During the challenge, Laurence started at Glasgow Rangers, then Middlesbrough, Leeds United, Sheffield United and arrived at Aston Villa on 9th April. The final leg of the journey included cycling from Villa Park to the Club’s training centre, Hotspur Way.

Laurence said: “Ugo was a great believer in helping others but also in the power of football. Football is an amazing sport that not only allows people to exercise, but to also join a community providing support and help to others. If the unimaginable happens, the presence of a defibrillator increases your chance of survival from 6% to 74%… Together, we can #DoSomethingKind

Jo Lovell, Operations Manager at London Hearts, said: “We are incredibly proud to support Laurence on his momentous challenge. London Hearts is the UK’s largest charity specialising in the procurement and supply of life-saving heart defibrillators. We are extremely grateful to Laurence and his wife Catherine who raised funds for London Hearts, with all proceeds going towards providing heart defibrillators across the country.

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Ugo believed in helping others, and in his now-famous last tweet, even encouraged people to do #DoSomethingKind. London Hearts are delighted we could help make a local grassroots football club become a little more heart-safe, in memory of Ugo’s legacy.

According to the FIFA Sudden Death Registry (FIFA-SDR), the incidence of sudden cardiac death in football players under the age of 35 is around 1-2 per 100,000 athletes per year. It was also reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine that around 63% of the cases of sudden cardiac arrest on the football pitch occurred in the last six years of the study period. 

These stats further support the need for not only accessible, lifesaving defibrillators in clubs like Havering Royals Youth FC but also increased training and understanding of SCA in football overall.

We welcome applications from any organisation or charity around the UK, so if you’re looking to install a defibrillator, apply online here.

Have a project in mind? Give us a call on 02070432493 or drop us an email at info@londonhearts.org

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