Caring colleagues of a young woman who died suddenly have raised nearly £12,500 in her memory.

Charlotte Adams, from Chelmsford, was just 23 when she lost her life to sudden adult death syndrome in November 2014.

Staff at Birkett Long solicitors, where she worked as an admin assistant, chose Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) as their charity of the year and after 12 months of fundraising events, including dress-down days, a quiz, Christmas raffle, coach trips and tuck shops, they handed over a cheque for £12,483.39.

Emma Purkiss, administrator and charity committee representative at Birkett Long’s Colchester office, where Charlotte was based, said: “Charlotte was a ray of sunshine and her death really affected me and the whole team. We really miss her.

“Charlotte loved baking so we held a Birkett Long bake-off and I did a parachute jump. We had real fun in her name, and this is the biggest total we’ve raised for a charity.”

The fantastic fundraising effort will pay to screen 250 young people who may have a cardiac abnormality without any symptoms. Screening identifies life-threatening heart conditions in one in 300 young people, and potentially serious disorders in around one in 100 young people.

Charlotte’s mum, Kate Bome, said: “I am very grateful to Birkett Long for their continued support. Charlotte loved her job with them and I can see why. Her colleagues still speak about her with such affection that it makes me very proud.

“To make Charlotte the focus for their charity fundraising for last year was a great honour and the amount of money they have raised is amazing.”

Kate said that Birkett Long’s and other fundraising in Charlotte’s name had raised more than £26,000.

A screening session has been booked for Saturday, May 27, at Great Totham Primary School. Bookings for 14 to 35-year-olds must be made on CRY’s website at www.c-r-y.org.uk

Caroline Gard, Eastern counties representative from CRY, who lost her 17-year-old son Andrew to an undiagnosed heart condition in 1997, said: “It’s so sad that this wonderful fundraising effort by Birkett Long was inspired by Charlotte’s death, but by using the money to raise awareness and get young people screened we can help to prevent the deaths of other young people.”