Pride of Britain: Helen Petley named 2024 fundraiser of the year for the East of the Anglia region

  • Watch the moment Helen Petley is surprised as the winner of the Anglia East fundraiser of the year award by reporter Andy Ward.

A mother who funded potentially life-saving heart checks after her son died suddenly from an undiagnosed condition has been named ITV's Regional Fundraiser of the Year for the East of the Anglia region.

Helen Petley, from Essex, will be representing the Anglia region at the 2024 Pride of Britain Awards as a result of her tireless fundraising efforts.

In April 2022, her son Tom Petley, 20, died in his sleep from sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) – a rare condition where someone dies from a cardiac arrest with no obvious cause.

Miss Petley set up the Tom Petley Foundation, raising more than £16,000 to fund two screening days at Harwich and Parkeston Football Club.

Almost 200 young people aged between 14 and 35 had their hearts checked for free, with 26 referred for further investigations after concerns were raised during their tests.

Helen Petley and her son Tom. Credit: Helen Petley

After finding out she had won the award, Miss Petley said: "There were so many other good people who I thought would have won it - I'm amazed.

"When Tom died, we had no warnings, as far as we knew he was perfectly fit and well.

"To have screenings available, if there's anything wrong it gets picked up and dealt with.

"It means there won't be other parents going through what we've gone through."

Miss Petley will be going to the national Pride of Britain Awards ceremony in London, where she has a chance of winning the overall national fundraiser of the year award.

You can read more about what made Miss Petley the regional fundraiser of the year by reading her story here.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know