At least 1,200 people took part in CRY’s Heart of London Bridges Walk on Sunday, June 23, the biggest turnout since before the pandemic.
Team Tom walked for the seventeenth time and it was wonderful to see how many people participated in Tom and Claire’s memory. Some had travelled long distances to be there.
“We’ve walked every year that there’s been a CRY Bridges Walk since 2008,” said Paul Clabburn. “To be joined by such a large group after so many years was inspiring. Ellen and I would like to say a huge thanks to all who took part. It really is appreciated.”
A Red Admiral hitches a lift. Picture by Helen Lewis.
Around 800 people took part in this year’s annual Cardiac Risk in the Young Heart of London Bridges Walk on Sunday, 25 July.
Team Tom 16 walked again in memory of Tom and Claire, setting off from Southwark Park on a six mile route that crossed several of the capital’s iconic bridges.
“We’re extremely grateful to all those who walked, especially on such a hot day,” said Paul Clabburn. “It was a tremendous effort and we really appreciate people choosing to spend their time supporting CRY.
“It’s the first Bridges walk since the recent death of Tom’s Grandpa, Gordon Prosser. Gordon was a great supporter of CRY and already 76 when Team Tom first walked in 2008. He completed the course for the last time in 2019 when 87 and, but for lockdown, he’d probably have managed one or two more. It felt right to walk in his memory too.
Picture by Morna Hinton.
“Thank you as well to all those who kindly donated to Tom and Claire’s Fund to mark the occasion of the walk.”
While it took place, Tom’s sister, Ellen, and her friends promoted CRY at Glastonbury festival, sporting Heart of London Bridges T-shirts.
Tributes were paid before the start of the walk to the late Kathryn Harries, opera singer and CRY patron, who came up with the idea of the CRY Bridges Walk. I well remember Kathryn always taking the time to talk and listen to those taking part in the event. Our condolences to her family.
Kathryn chatting to members of the first ever Team Tom in 2008.Read More
Gordon at the 2017 Bridges walk with grandaughter Ellen and, behind, nephew Richard (left) and son Neil.
Tom’s grandpa, Claire’s dad, Gordon Prosser, who died on Saturday, May 27 aged 91, was a great supporter of CRY.
Gordon was a familiar sight on the Heart of London Bridges Walk. He first completed the circuit in 2008 when he was 76 and he continued to do so into his late eighties. He was said to have been the oldest person to have taken part.
If you would like to take part in this year’s walk, on Sunday June 25, you can register here.
As with every other charity, the pandemic made raising funds and awareness that much harder and so we’d really appreciate as many people as possible signing up for Team Tom 16. Sadly, Gordon won’t be there to walk with us but I’ll still picture him striding along.
CRY’s 16th annual Heart of London Bridges Walk will be held in two months’ time on Sunday, June 26. You can register here.
We’ll be taking part again as Team Tom XV, hoping to raise awareness of CRY’s work. Twelve young people a week aged 14-35 die of undiagnosed heart conditions.
It will be great to be back on the start line at Southwark Park after a couple of years of COVID induced “virtual walks” in our local area. Hope to see you there!
Tom and Claire’s Fund raises money primarily to support free heart screening for young people. But we can’t hold screenings if there aren’t enough doctors to carry out the tests. Nor can any other CRY family.
Therefore, after discussions with CRY, we have decided to donate £20,000 towards funding the research doctors who review the ECG results of every young person tested. It’s not the first time we’re supported CRY’s research programme. Back in 2016 we bought an echocardiogram and made a donation.
We want CRY to be able to carry out as many screenings as possible where-ever they are needed in the UK and so making the donation with the money you have raised feels the right thing to do. A huge backlog has built up after the pandemic halted testing.
CRY’s chief Executive, Dr Steven Cox explains more:
“Thank you to all the supporters of Tom and Claire’s memorial fund for once again making a fantastic donation to CRY’s research programme.
“It is great news that CRY’s screening programme has restarted, and we are so pleased we have been able to hold a screening in memory of Tom and Claire at the Olympic Pavilion at Trailfinders Sports Club in Vallis Way earlier this month.
“Whilst it is brilliant to see young people being tested again, one of our most pressing challenges as a charity is to re-establish the CRY medical team after the massive impact Covid has had on our fundraising over the last 18 months.
“Funding research at CRY means funding the CRY research doctors which have the key role in the screening programme, evaluating the symptoms and reviewing the ECGs of every young person we test. Quite simply, the more doctors we are able to fund, the more young people we can screen. We urgently need to appoint more doctors so we can start to respond to the incredible demand we have for screening, with more than 50,000 young people now on a waiting list waiting to be tested.
“This support for research in memory of Tom and Claire has meant we can start the process of recruiting more doctors to get the screening programme back on track and help to save many more young lives. Thank you for all your support.”
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