Alan Harrison-White, who volunteers for local charity the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT), has travelled to all corners of the city and county to visit schools and sports clubs with a vital life-saving message.

Young people, sports coaches, parents and teachers have all benefitted from Alan's knowledge in CPR and his demonstrations of how defibrillators work, with Alan offering all of his time for free.

Alan has visited 50 school assemblies, speaking to 10,000 pupils and more than 500 teachers to tell them why CPR is so important. He and his wife, Jill, have trained 375 people in CPR on behalf of the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust and the British Heart Foundation. He has also trained sportspeople and staff at local cricket, football and hockey clubs.

While on his travels, Alan shares his lifesaving skills knowledge on CPR, how defibrillators work and the symptoms to look for about Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS), a group of heart conditions which claim the lives of 12 young people aged 12-35 every week in the UK.

The Joe Humphries Memorial Trust, a local charity, was set up in memory of Rothley teenager Joe Humphries, who collapsed and tragically died from SADS in October 2012 while out jogging.

Alan said: "I'm delighted to have reached this milestone, because the more people who know what to do to tackle this silent killer, the better.

"It's absolutely essential that we train as many people as possible in the skills that could one day help them to save a life. The statistics around sudden heart deaths – 12 young people dying a week – are staggering, but we can make a difference to this shocking figure.

"We need to ensure as many people as possible know CPR and how defibrillators work. What could be more important?"

JHMT Chair and Joe's dad Steve Humphries said: "Alan and his wife, Jill, donate all of their time for free and we're immensely grateful to them for their tireless and selfless efforts. Alan's achievement is truly fantastic, but what's even more amazing is that we know he won't stop here – he'll keep going, keep sharing his knowledge and spreading that vital message – that these deaths can be preventable, and that with a greater awareness and understanding of SADS, along with the right training, we can make a difference."

News of Alan's achievement comes during SADS Awareness Week 2014, which runs from 4-11 October.

During the week, local sporting clubs Leicester Tigers, Leicester City Football Club and Leicester Riders are uniting to help break the silence on SADS, holding CPR awareness sessions in half-time match breaks.

Community sports clubs, local groups and people from across Leicester and Leicestershire are also backing the week.

Posters raising awareness of SADS are also going up at sports clubs, schools and other community venues across the city and county.

To lend your support to SADS week, tweet "I'm breaking the silence on SADS" and using the hashtag #breakthesilence on Twitter. Direct your tweet at the JHMT Twitter feed, @JHMTorguk