Healthcare professionals, sports coaches, teachers and youth leaders are being invited to a trailblazing conference which examines issues around sudden heart deaths in young people.The third annual SADS Awareness Conference is being organised by the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT), a Leicester Tigers official club charity, in conjunction with the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.   Online booking is now open for the conference, which takes place on Friday, October  2 at Leicester City FC.   SADS stands for Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome, part of a group of subtle heart diseases that claim the lives of 12 teenagers and young adults, aged 12-35, every week in the UK. Some conditions causing SADS affect whole families.   This year, for the first time, the conference has extended its scope to reach a wider audience. As well as inviting healthcare professionals to find out more about SADS, organisers are extending the invitation to coaches, teachers, community nurses, physios and youth leaders.   The event will be opened by Martin Johnson, former England rugby captain and patron of the JHMT.   Martin said: “It’s vitally important that as many people as possible learn more about subtle heart diseases and how they can affect young people.   “SADS and other subtle heart diseases can strike anyone, at any time. Sometimes, they can affect seemingly fit and healthy young people while they are playing sport.   “That’s why it’s so important that sports club coaches – and anyone who works with young people undertaking physical activity – knows the signs and knows what to do if someone collapses.”   Dr Ffion Davies, consultant in A&E at Leicester’s Hospitals, said: “Following the success of our last two conferences, this year we want to broaden the audience to include teachers, sports coaches and anyone who deals with teenagers and people in their 20s, because one day they may have to perform resuscitation.   “We want to show how easy and quick it is to learn CPR, and the importance of getting hold of a defibrillator quickly.”    The conference has been tailored to allow flexible attendance – delegates can choose to take part in a morning session, an afternoon session, or attend all day.   Registration fees are from £10 for an afternoon session for a student. An all-day place will cost a maximum of £65.   Workshops include ECG recognition, screening for families, bereavement and family support, and how to spot the warning signs of SADS. There will also be a simulated scene of someone collapsing with SADS to evaluate responses.   To kick off the sports session in the afternoon, a sports ‘question time’ with a panel of cardiology specialists will open up the debate and invite members of the audience to ask questions on the topic of screening young people in sport. Guest speakers include cardiologists Dr Graham Stuart and Dr Rajay Narain, plus Dr Kal Parmar, a sports specialist from London who also works as the Tigers club doctor.   Online booking is now open. To book a place, please apply online at http://jhmt.org.uk/events   For all enquiries, please contact Vicky Wills, fundraising and events co-ordinator, on [email protected]