A MEMORIAL fund is being launched to provide cardiac screening for young people after a teenager died of an undetected heart condition.

Set up in memory of Ben Daniels, who suffered a heart attack playing football, the fund aims to reduce the number of similar tragedies.

The charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) estimates at least 12 apparently fit and healthy young people die of undiagnosed heart conditions in the UK each week.

Ben, 15, was an aspiring sportsman who collapsed at football training in Queensmead Recreation Ground, Shortlands, in March last year.

Despite the desperate efforts of his fellow Ex-Blues footballers, the Ravens Wood School pupil passed away in hospital three days later.

One year on, his parents Paul and Helena are due to officially launch the Ben Daniels Memorial Fund at the Old Elthamians Sports Club on March 16.

It aims to provide screening programmes within the sporting communities which Ben played in.

Screening is a painless non-invasive five minute process where small stickers known as electrodes are placed on the client's chest that are connected by wires to an ECG machine.

News Shopper: Ben's parents Paul and Helena are set to launch the screening fund on March 16

Paul, 50, of Clarence Road, Bickley, said: "The fund is all about raising awareness of potential cardiac health problems in young people and the fact they only have to be screened in a similar way to that which Olympic athletes have to be screened.

"With the Olympics coming up every athlete will be screened for their cardiac health, almost as a duty of care to that person and also for reassurance of their own health.

"But things like what happened to Ben can happen to anyone, not just sportsmen and women.

"Screening gives you that peace of mind that you're ok."

He added: "It's in Ben's memory that we're doing this. It's in his name that the cause has arisen.

"The fund has touched on a lot of people in a big way."

For more information about the fund visit bendanielsmemorialfund.co.uk