A charity that literally gets to the heart of Manx life is appealing for new donors to help it carry out its work.

Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation was set up in memory of footballer Craig Lunt by his mother Paula following his tragic death in 2005 at the age of just 25 from an undiagnosed heart defect.

The charity provides free screening tests for young people in the island between the ages of 14 and 35 in order to detect any possible symptoms of hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Paula Lunt said in a post on the charity’s Facebook page that it had ’unexpected costs’ from supporting people from a previous screening who needed additional help.

Mrs Lunt had described the charity’s funds as ’lower than ever’ and that it would ’break what is left of my poorly heart if my Craig’s charity had to fold’.

The foundation has donated more than 300 defibrillators to sports clubs, schools and public spaces.

The importance of the devices was seen at a football game this season when even though it was not required to be used, its availability ensured people were confident in what to do when a player became ill.

In order to continue to distribute the potentially live saving devices, the charity needs to top up its funds which have been depleted in the past year.

Chairman of the charity Paul Healey told the Examiner: ’We’re not in trouble, just with the price of the screenings rising to £50 per person, we need to focus our money on them for a while.

’We just want to build back up to a comfortable level before we go out and buy more machines to donate.

’At our next free screening in April we will have screened over 8,000 people in the island and for your help with that we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.’

The charity’s next screenings are set for the weekend of April 6 and 7.

Bookings for a slot can be made by looking at the links below. To find out more, visit www.justgiving.com/craigsheartstrongfoundation, www.craigsheartstrongfoundation.co.uk or search for the charity on Facebook.