THE FAMILY of former professional footballer and manager Justin Edinburgh is celebrating their latest win, after securing charity status for the foundation established in his memory.
The Justin Edinburgh 3 Foundation (JE3) was set up following the sad passing of the former Leyton Orient manager and Tottenham Hotspur player after he suffered a cardiac arrest in June 2019, just three weeks after winning the National League title with Orient.
Since then, Justin's son Charlie, along with his daughter Cydnie and wife Kerri, have been campaigning for ‘Justin's Law' – a change in legislation that will save countless many lives.
The foundation has already raised a staggering £250,000 to fund CPR training and education and supply defibrillators to sports and fitness venues.
The funds also support the Edinburgh family's core goal – campaigning to make defibrillators a legal requirement at every health and sports facility in the UK.
Now, with the help of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) and specialist sports and charities lawyers at Newcastle-based Muckle LLP, the foundation has become a registered charity, enabling it to secure vital financial and grant funding benefits, including eligibility for Gift Aid and other tax exemptions.
Charlie said: “Becoming a registered charity means the world to us and it is a proud day for everyone involved. It is a perfect tribute and a lasting legacy to my dad who was much loved and respected inside and outside of football.
“Dad was always super-fit and it was a devastating blow to everyone when he passed away at just 49. The tragedy is that, had a defibrillator been onsite at the time of his cardiac arrest, it could have bought precious minutes that may have saved his life.
“Many venues across the country are not equipped with defibrillators or enough CPR trained staff and through Justin's Law and the foundation we hope to help put that right.
“We've done a lot of work to solidify and get the Justin Edinburgh 3 Foundation name and brand out there, raised some amazing funds through generous donations and already supplied defibrillators to venues in different parts of the country.
“Obtaining charity status is really going to help us take our mission to the next level, and we are grateful to the PFA and Muckle for their guidance in helping us achieve this latest milestone.
“Since our family founded the JE3 Foundation, we've been blown away by the support the football community and everyone else have shown us. Thanks to them, our charity continues to move forward towards our goal of saving more lives and I know dad would be incredibly proud of what we've already achieved together.”
To find out more about the charity or get involved, visit https://je- 3foundation.com/
