pulse

spring | summer 2014

Sally Bee

our new am
bass
find out m ador,
ore
on p2

this issue

Completed grants 4-6 | Helping Little Hearts Appeal 8-9 | New ambassadors 14-15 |
Company support 18-20 | HRUK in the Midlands 23-26 | HHG updates 29-35 |

Helping Hearts in the prevention,

treatment and cure of heart disease

Contents
Research 3-7 | Helping Little Hearts 8-9 | Special people 10-12 |
New ambassadors 14-15 | Company help 18-20 | Midlands 23-26 |
Fundraising for HRUK 27-28 | Healthy Heart Grants 29-35 |

Cover story
TV cook Sally is our new ambassador
2014 is the 10th anniversary of my heart attacks so if I can survive 10 years I can survive forever,
says TV cook Sally Bee, Heart Research UKs latest healthy living ambassador.
Mum of three, Sally, was just 36 when her life was
nearly ended by a rare emergency condition,
spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD),
that occurs when a tear forms in one of the
hearts blood vessels. She was given little or no
chance of survival and doctors called in her family
husband, Dogan, and children Tarik, Kazim and
Lela who were four, two and nine months at the
time to prepare them for the worst.

Shes really positive about life in general now and

wants to get positive messages across about
healthy living and to help others going through
similar health problems. This has been a year
where things are changing for me and I am
looking at the world in a different light. I want to
lend my voice to Heart Research UK because
without research I wouldnt be here, she said.
We fit together perfectly.

It was their presence that willed her to survive.

When I realised that I was still alive and Id
allowed myself to think for a second about
my little ones at home, I was filled with an
all-consuming need and desire and passion
not to let myself die. I believe it was this surge
of emotion that helped saved my life. It must
have been all about the people that I love. It was
instinctive and I decided there and then that I
would never, ever give up breathing.

Sally has cooked some of her heart-healthy

recipes on a number of daytime TV shows,
including Daybreak, the daytime flagship
programme on ITV, that began with a series on the
Brazilian diet that tied in with the summer 2014
World Cup. She is raring to get going as a HRUK
Ambassador, Heart Research UK is a national
local charity and that is really important to me
as I know that funds raised locally will be spent
near you.

Look out for her recipe book, Sally Bee - The Secret Ingredient
- which not only gives healthy recipe ideas, but relates to how her health
problems have prompted a fresh, positive outlook on life and a new
healthy eating regime.
Cover picture: Sally with her children, Tarik, Kazim and Lela

Heart Research UK Ambassadors

le
itt
gL s
in r t e 8
lp ea ag
He H e P
se

Updateongrants

Novel and Emerging Technologies (NET) Grant

Novel and Emerging Technologies Grants are for projects that focus on the development of new
and innovative technologies to diagnose, treat and prevent heart disease and related conditions. In
our last round, we awarded 190,877 to develop new imaging techniques to assess coronary heart
disease to an established, experienced team at Kings College London.

Developing new imaging

techniques for coronary
artery disease
Dr Richard Siow
Kings College London / 190,877 - 2 years
The Problem
About 20 per cent of the air we breathe is oxygen, whilst levels in blood supplying the heart are
between three and six per cent. In coronary artery disease, where the blood supply to the heart
becomes restricted, levels of oxygen may be as low as one to three per cent which causes changes
within the tissue and the build-up of damaging by-products such as free radicals that contributes to
cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.
The Project
Doctors are keen to develop new techniques for imaging the human heart without the need for
invasive medical tests. This project involves an advanced imaging technique called positron emission
tomography (PET) which produces detailed three-dimensional pictures showing how living tissues and
organs are working, and will develop new PET probes. This grant will also provide funding for specialised
equipment so that cells can be grown under carefully-controlled oxygen levels to mimic realistic
conditions in the body.
The Benefits
This research will increase our knowledge about how oxygen levels affect the uptake of these new
probes by heart and blood vessel cells. It is hoped that this will lead to new imaging techniques for
detecting areas of the heart with a poor blood supply or that are damaged in heart disease, allowing
cardiologists to assess the severity of disease and monitor how it progresses, so that patients can be
treated as soon as possible.

www.heartresearch.org.uk/grants

More grant info on our website www.heartresearch.org.uk/research

Completed medical research grants

Read here about the success of some HRUK grants which have now come to an end, including a study
of the care that heart failure patients receive and a project which may help to make heart surgery safer.

Clinical research grants

Dr Ahmet Fuat
University of Durham / 82,738 - 9 months
Management of heart failure

Dr Stephen Wheatcroft
University of Leeds / 72,556 - 2 years
Obesity and cardiovascular disease

The Problem
Heart failure means the heart is unable to pump
blood around the body effectively. It reduces lifeexpectancy and hinders normal daily activities.
It affects at least 750,000 people in the UK, yet
is often undetected and under-treated. The
benefits of new treatments are carefully assessed,
but there is very little research afterwards looking
at the way care is delivered.

The Problem
Obesity is a major risk factor for heart and
circulatory disease and the number of people
that are overweight or obese has increased
dramatically in recent years. Obesity may be
linked to heart disease by long-term damage
to blood vessels caused by the release of
substances called inflammatory mediators from
fat deposits.

The Project
The study explored the ways that health care
professionals in the UK diagnose and care for
people with heart failure. The team spoke to GPs,
heart failure nurses, heart specialists and other
hospital consultants. Clinical staff felt uncertain
about diagnosing different types of heart failure
and were unsure of who had overall responsibility
for heart failure patients from the point of
diagnosis through to the end-of-life. Some of the
problems the team were told about are the same
as those found when they spoke to GPs ten years
ago, which is worrying.

The Project
The aim of this project was to investigate whether
blocking one of these inflammatory mediators,
called TNF-alpha, could improve the health of
blood vessels in volunteers with obesity. The
volunteers were treated with a dummy pill or a
tablet called pentoxifylline - a drug used to treat
poor leg circulation but also known to block the
effects of TNF-alpha.

The Benefits
The results will be used to develop plans for more
research and development to improve diagnosis
and care for people with heart failure in the
areas of GP education, end-of-life care, and care
pathways for diagnosis and management.

Research Grants

The Benefits
By carrying out ultrasound scans of the artery
in the forearm, the project showed that
pentoxifylline improved the health of blood
vessels. The treatment also increased the
number of cells in the blood stream that can
repair damaged blood vessels. These results
suggest that pentoxifylline may prevent heart and
circulatory diseases in people with obesity.

Translational Research Grant Research Training Fellowship

Prof Alistair Hall
Leeds General Infirmary and University of Leeds /
139,082 - 2 years
A new blood test to identify patients at risk of
heart attack
The Problem
Coronary artery disease is caused by the build-up
of fatty deposits in the arteries supplying the
heart muscle and can lead to a heart attack. Only
about one in four patients attending hospital with
symptoms of heart attack will in fact have had
one, while the other three will not. This second
larger group of patients was the focus of this work,
as within this patient group a future threatened
heart attack may be missed by the standard tests.
The Project
The aim was to develop a new blood test, called
H-FABP, to measure levels of a particular protein
in the blood which has been shown to help in the
diagnosis of a threatened heart attack. Blood
levels of H-FABP in patients attending hospital with
symptoms of heart attack were compared with
measurements of coronary artery disease using
ultra-fast CT scanning. They found that there was
a trend for patients with higher H-FABP levels to
have more coronary artery disease.
The Benefits
The H-FABP test does have the potential to help
with the early detection of heart attacks so that
treatment can be started earlier and the project
strengthens the case for the use of H-FABP
measurement in everyday medical practice.

Mr Bao Nguyen
National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College
London / 150,000 - 3 years
Making Heart Surgery Safer
The Problem
During complex heart surgery, patients often need
to go on a heart-lung bypass machine, known as a
cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), which oxygenates
the blood and pumps it around the body. In some
patients, CPB can trigger the immune system
and lead to a severe, whole body inflammatory
response, which can damage the heart, lungs,
brain and kidneys causing serious complications
and multiple organ failure.
The Project
This project showed that using a miniaturised
bypass machine (mini-CPB) can reduce the
activation of the immune system causing less
damage to the heart muscle and better blood
markers of kidney function. Mini-CPB is already
available in the UK and this is evidence that miniCPB may make heart surgery safer compared to
the conventional bypass machine.
The Benefits
The research team also found that sulforaphane,
which is abundant in green vegetables like
broccoli, can prevent inflammatory responses
to surgery. This interesting result suggests
that dietary changes may protect against
complications of CPB during heart surgery.

More grant info on our website www.heartresearch.org.uk/research

Novel and Emerging Technologies Grant

Dr Christopher George
Cardiff University / 227,219 - 4 years
Developing a new technique for testing
anti-arrhythmic drugs
The Problem
Problems with the heart rhythm, called arrhythmias, can
result in un-coordinated heart muscle contractions. Cardiac
arrhythmias are extremely common and can be treated by
drugs known as anti-arrhythmics. However, there is no good
system for testing whether anti-arrhythmics will be effective
or make things worse.
The Project
Inside every heart cell, information is transmitted by calcium
signals. In heart disease, the organisation of these calcium
signals becomes disrupted and normal heart rhythm
breaks down. Dr George and his team developed a test that
measures these calcium signals in normal and diseased
situations. They also studied how anti-arrhythmic drugs
interfere with the pattern of the calcium signals, measuring
any improvement or breakdown in the signals.
The Benefits
We can use this knowledge to begin designing new drugs that
do not disrupt the calcium signals. This may lead to new heart
drugs that are not only safer, but that will work much more
effectively to restore normal heart rhythm in patients.

Research Grants

Congratulations to

Professor Martin Thornhill

of the University of Sheffield who holds a Heart Research UK
grant of 98,000 from money
donated by Simplyhealth - and
has just won a prestigious
award from the American
Academy of Oral Medicine for
the work hes doing.
His 12 month HRUK grant is
investigating whether certain
patients need antibiotic cover
when visiting the dentist to
protect against infective
endocarditis, an infection of the
inner lining of the heart.
Now hes become only the
third person ever outside of
the United States to win the
Samuel Charles Miller Award
which recognises outstanding
contributions in the field of
oral medicine.

ResearchFeature
Cardiac imaging techniques
Cardiac imaging can provide valuable information about the structure and function of the heart,
helping doctors to make a diagnosis, assess the severity of heart disease and predict how it may
progress. There have been tremendous advances in cardiac imaging technologies over the last
decade or so and here John Greenwood, Professor of Cardiology at the University of Leeds and
Consultant Cardiologist at Leeds General Infirmary, discusses the different techniques available.

Echocardiogram (Echo)
This uses sound waves to give accurate
information about the structure and pumping
action of the heart. It can be used to diagnose
a wide range of heart problems, including heart
valve disease and congenital heart disease and
its ease of use and safety makes it particularly
helpful for diagnosing heart problems in babies
and children.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

MRI uses magnetic fields and radio waves to
produce detailed images of the heart, providing
information about its structure and function. It
can also assess the blood supply to the heart, can
show if the hearts pumping action is abnormal
and assess damage caused by heart attack. It is
used for diagnosing a wide range of heart diseases
in adults and children.

Computed tomography (CT)

A CT scan uses x-rays to create 3D images
showing the anatomy of the heart. A CT coronary
angiogram can show if there is narrowing of the
coronary arteries and the CT calcium score
measures the build-up of calcium-containing
plaques which can occur in coronary artery
disease. A disadvantage is that patients are
exposed to radiation, though with advances in
technology this is much less than previously.

An advantage of MRI is that it does not use

radiation and is considered to be safe. However,
it is relatively complex and cannot be used
in patients with certain types of pacemaker,
defibrillator or other non-fixed metallic implants.
Nuclear cardiology
In nuclear cardiology, a radioactive tracer is
injected into the bloodstream and its uptake by
the heart detected with a gamma camera. These
cardiac images help to identify coronary heart
disease, prior heart attacks, and can be used
to assess the overall function of the heart. It is
relatively simple to undertake, but it does involve
exposure to a higher dose of radiation than CT.

More grant info on our website www.heartresearch.org.uk/research

Helping Little Hearts

Appeal

Rehabilitating Little Hearts

Currently, if an adult suffers a heart attack or is hospitalised because of heart problems, they
leave hospital fully informed about the type of diet, exercise and general lifestyle regime they
should follow - as well as being offered a full rehabilitation programme - but with youngsters, this
rarely happens.
Heart Research UK has funded a project with a team at the University of Exeter and a paediatric
cardiologist in Bristol that will give children living with heart problems or have had heart surgery, a
rehabilitation toolkit to help them lead healthy, physically-active lives. The toolkit, aimed at youngsters,
their families and others who care for them, gives clear recommendations tailored to the childs needs
on what exercise is best for their circumstances, the safe amount to take and advice on healthy eating.
Most importantly, it includes an individually-tailored exercise prescription recommended by their
cardiologist or other specialist nurse or physiotherapist.
The prescription and toolkit is being piloted at four paediatric cardiac centres in Bristol, Cardiff,
Birmingham and Leeds. Feedback from families and evaluation by healthcare professionals will then
be used to perfect the toolkit ready for Heart Research UK to pay for its roll out to the specialist centres
across the UK who would like to offer it to their youngsters and parents.

Heart Research UK has already invested over 50,000 on the research. We need 100,000 to
achieve our goal. To donate to our Helping Little Hearts Appeal, please ring

0113 234 7474 or click Make a donation on www.heartresearch.org.uk

Dominic takes on world record for

Helping Little Hearts Appeal
Our Helping Little Hearts Appeal inspired Dominic Irvine to support us in a
big way - attempting to break the world record for travelling the 832 miles
between Lands End and John OGroats on a tandem and raised money for
our appeal in the process.
The 50 hrs, 14 mins and 25 secs record has been held since 1966 by Pete
Swinden and John Withers. Dom put his body and mind on the line, with British
trials cyclist Glenn Longland, and were on target until, unfortunately, they
had to retire near Carlisle after completing 457 miles.

Healthy Hearts feature

A disappointed Dominic said:

Attempting to break this record seemed a fitting
challenge when compared to the substantial
effort invested in improving the rehabilitation of
young children after heart surgery. Both these
efforts pale into comparison to the love, support
and resilience that parents of such children
demonstrate and the incredible fortitude of the
children who in some cases require operation
after operation to keep them going.
We are very proud of Dominic and Glenn. Their grit
and determination have helped to bring our goal
closer, raising over 10,000 for the Helping Little
Hearts Appeal, something that Dom believes will
change young lives.
After meeting little Riley Platts (below) he said:

It really helped me having in my mind

someone like Riley to keep me going on
the tandem challenge and break the
record. I hope the fundraising will also
make a difference for Riley and others like
him in the future.

I am delighted that our attempt at the record

captured the imagination of so many people who
then got behind the real purpose of our ride - to
raise money for Heart Research UKs Helping
Little Hearts campaign. Their generosity enabled
us to smash our fundraising target.
Helping Heart Research UK has been a privilege,
meeting the patients whom will benefit from the
fundraising was humbling. The record remains
unfinished business...watch this space!
To read Doms blog about his challenge please go to

heartresearch1967.blogspot.co.uk

Doms fundraising challenge will help people like Yorkshire

three-year-olds Imogen Tankard and Riley Platts, who
have had heart surgery when they were young and are now
happy youngsters on the road to recovery. Both children,
and others like them, would benefit from a rehabilitation
programme, giving them tailor-made information and
support that will help them to live happier, healthier and
longer lives.
Imogen, above, from West Park, Leeds had an operation at
six months to correct a rare heart condition that was making
her seriously ill. Mum, Vicky, reckons that research has saved
her daughters life. Riley, right, from Guiseley, Leeds also has
a rare heart condition, truncus arteriosis where the two
main heart arteries are joined together and, although he is
fit and well, will need further operations as he grows older. His
mother, Kathryn, said it was important that more research
into heart disease was done to help children like Riley.

Healthy Hearts feature

Special
People
Lindas 12 challenges
for her dad
Linda Wales always wanted to do something special to
remember her father, Melvyn, who died of heart disease
at the young age of 42, so now that shes reached that age
herself shes going to take on 12 tough challenges and has
set herself a 42,000 fundraising target for three charities,
including Heart Research UK.
Starting with an endurance challenge in the Lake District, Linda is
aiming to canoe, cycle, hike, climb, run and abseil her way to her
fundraising target, doing one challenge per month.
Anyone can sign up to get involved with a challenge or follow
Lindas progress via her blog at:

www.living-above-the-clouds.com or on Twitter by following @LindaRWales

Amber hands over the

proceeds of her efforts
Six-year-old Amber Buckle raised nearly
250 for HRUK when she completed the
Yorkshire Three Peaks in three consecutive
weekends. A very pleased young walker,
with her mum, presented a cheque to
our National Director Barbara Harpham.
Amber of Wortley, finished each peak
in less than four hours, taking along
her parents Kate and Ben and even
Leeds Rhinos mascot Ronnie the
Rhino all to raise funds for Heart
Research UK.

10

Special People

Rais
d
23e
1

Sixties Night cash

Sandra Pointon, Jo Leece and Trish Howell, all from Castleford
turned back the clock to raise 1,602 for Heart Research UK. More
than 180 people boogied their retro night away with 60s band, Red
Rate, and tried their luck at a massive tombola with 365 prizes.
The three chose Heart Research UK as their charity because one
of their family had suffered heart problems. Sandra Pointons son
had also suffered from a heart condition and was treated by HRUK
spokesperson and cardiologist, Dr Chris Pepper.

d
e
s
i
Ra ,602
1

From cold to hot Geoff does it again

Raised
1,170
Yorkshire adventurer, Geoff Major, never
knows when to stop taking on extreme
challenges. Hes now walked across the
hottest place on earth just over a year after
trekking through one of the coldest parts of
the planet.

This time, we received over 1,170 from the

Sahara Trek, and Geoffs not finished there. In
November 2014, hes going to be trekking the
5,500 metres up Mount Everest to its base
camp in another adventure that will live long in
the memory.

Geoff, a businessman from Leeds, and 17

others walked the 62 miles across the Sahara
Desert over five days in heat of up to 38
degrees centigrade - in stark contrast to a
previous challenge when he trekked to the
North Pole raising over 18,000 for his charities
including Heart Research UK.

Stop press.. Stop press..

Stop press.. Stop press..
Watch out in 2015 for Geoff back on the
bicycle-built-for-seven on a tour of UK capitals.

Join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/heartresearchuk

11

Special
People
SUBWAYs Dina scoops special award for her
fundraising work
Weve been working in partnership with SUBWAY for over five years now, and during that time
have funded many healthy heart grants and organised the Family 5K series of events that have
been running for the past two summers (see back page).
That is why we decided to have our own Heart
Research UK Special Recognition Award to mark
some of the fantastic work done by SUBWAY
people across the UK.
The first winner of the award - presented at a
SUBWAY Inspire TUKI Convention - has gone
to Dina Patel, a franchisee from Reading, who
has raised a staggering 20,500 - 10,000 from
a Make A Difference (MAD) ball and a further
10,500 from an auction she ran at the Inspire
TUKI convention, sourcing the prizes herself.
Heart Research UK Fundraiser, Lynne
Desborough, said everyone agreed that Dina
deserved the award.
This is not just because of the amount raised at
the MAD Ball and the auction but because Dina
goes the extra mile to make events like this happen.
It takes such a lot of dedication and hard work to
raise money and we would like to thank Dina and
all those who helped her to make it possible.

Dina Patel with Barbara Harpham (centre) and Mike Charest,

SUBWAY Assistant Regional Director, Europe (left)

Others shortlisted for this prestigious award were:

Healthy Heart Grant Panel Members Ian
Dawson and Cheryl Hensley - for their
enthusiasm to engage with Healthy Heart
Grantees including attendance at project visits
and launches and fundraising in store
Sarah Cockwill - for her dedication to the
Charity Committee, spreading the word about
the partnership tirelessly amongst colleagues.
Ritesh Maden - always looking for
opportunities to engage his staff in Leicester in
fundraising activities.

Yorkshire Bank staff come

to the rescue
Nineteen staff at Yorkshire Bank stepped in when we needed
volunteers to fold over 1,000 t-shirts for participants who are
running in the HRUK/SUBWAY Family 5K Fun Days, making
short work of what would have been a very long job.
12

Special People

For Helping Hearts

A big thank you to the following fund raisers:
Sue Townend - Chichester | Sponsored 99 mile bike ride | 84
Simanti Nandi - Chichester | Sponsored 99 mile bike ride | 20
Urusula Roberts-Twinn - London | Dry January | 179
Daniel Wayte - Manchester | Vikingarannet - Longest annual ice skating race | 410
Thomas Collins - Nuneaton Iron Man challenges | Outlaw triathlon, Wales | 100
Mr and Mrs Wibberley - Shipley | Silver Wedding Anniversary | 160
Hazel Forrest - Kirkby-in-Ashfield | Church coffee morning | 20
John Plester - Wanstead | General donation | 50
Tommy Frank - Sheffield | Boxing match | 40
Lucy Zaboklicka - Buckinghamshire | Buckinghamshire Marathon | 155
V. Sudderdean - Leeds | Handcrafted cards and watercolour paintings | 46
Janet Cassidy - Nottingham | 80th birthday celebrations | 35
Claire Williams - Milton Keynes | Wedding donations | 225
R & M Thorp - Bradford | Diamond wedding anniversary | 100
Natasha Smith - Taunton | 1st Galmington Brownies | 83

Join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/heartresearchuk

13

Heart Research UK A
Packin a punch
Two boxers from two different generations arent holding back the punches as Helping Hearts
Ambassadors for Heart Research UK - former world light heavyweight boxing champion Paul Silky
Jones and 20-year-old up and coming young British boxer Tommy Frank, both from Sheffield.

In the red corner

Silky, 47, won the world title in 1995 and is keen to reach middle aged men and improve their fitness
through his passion - skipping. They are his target because he feels this group are more likely to have a
sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, poor diet, and obesity - factors that contribute to heart disease.
Also, they often dont listen to messages about looking after their
health and changing poor lifestyle habits.
Silky, who is a motivational speaker, says more people
could take up skipping and reckons that just 10-15 minutes of
skipping a day will help increase the heart rate and is a good
warm up for more varied types of exercise. Its also one of the
easiest and best aerobic exercises there is - something he
demonstrated at one of our events in Leeds to an admiring city
centre crowd.

I am thrilled to support Heart Research

UK, As a world champion boxer, I
have always been health conscious
and now Im in my late forties, I am
even more aware of my physical
health. I work with lots of people
promoting activity and Ive noticed
that people tend to think theyre
too old to start exercise but really
there is no greater time to start
exercise. I want to demonstrate
that fitness isnt about the huge
changes, its about the small ones
we make.

14

Heart Research UK Ambassadors

rt
ea
5
y H ts -3
th n 29
al ra es
He G ag
eP
se

Ambassadors
and in the blue corner

Tommy Frank is just 20, already one of the countrys best young amateur boxers and has a very
personal reason for being an HRUK ambassador. He was born with a hole in the heart and, after an
operation to correct it, has never looked back.
Tommy, from Intake, Sheffield, has to be fit to pursue the sport he
loves and trains regularly at the Sheffield Boxing Centre where
theyve helped him to become the top young bantamweight fighter in
Yorkshire. Hes won the title four times and is in the top 10 in the UK for
his weight. It could have all been different without his operation
His ambitions are to win more titles and turn professional, but, now
hes championing our Helping Little Hearts campaign so that all young
heart patients leaving hospital, as Tommy did, get the
best possible rehabilitation and advice about their
lifestyle choices as adults do. He has overcome his
heart problem and knows only too well how exercise
can help young hearts. My heart operation allowed
me to carry on with my life, he said. I had always
been fairly active, but getting fit gave me a new
lease of life.

I just wanted to give something back after the

treatment I received and help Heart Research
UK as much as I can. It is not easy to know what
you can do as a child after heart surgery, so a
prescription and toolkit that helps parents to
understand this will make a big difference.

Fancy doing the Great North Run? www.heartresearch.org.uk/events

15

Look
what
weve been up to
Instagram Heart Auction
The first ever #InstaHeartAuction turned trinkets and gifts given by ex-partners that had been
squashed in the back of a drawer, shoe box or wardrobe gathering dust, into cash donations for
Heart Research UK.
The project, developed by McCann London with Reform London and Unit
9, who both donated their time to help support the campaign, made it
easy for people to heal broken hearts and help us raise money by doing
what they do best: sharing a photo on Instagram and using the hashtag
#InstaHeartAuction. Following the success of their first auction on
Valentines Day, they decided to continue the online marketplace indefinitely.
Taking part is really easy, you just have to Instagram a photo of the unwanted
item using the hashtag #InstaHeartAuction and the item is added to the
online auction.
Keep an eye on the website and our social media sites to see when the next auctions will be taking place.

Check out

www.heartresearch.org.uk

our refreshed, easy to use website with all

the usual social media links plus news, videos and blogs.

Skipping is good for your heart

National Skipping Day was the ideal time to
get passers-by joining in with our ambassador,
Rugby Super League player, Adrian Purtell, and
his Bradford Bulls teammate, Adam Henry,
in the impromptu work out led by Skip2bfits
Dave Gibson to promote the healthy benefits
of skipping. Our Lifestyle Officer, Katharine
Greathead - whos an excellent skipper pointed out that it was not only an activity that
most people could do, it is also good for you.

Its an easy and inexpensive activity to take up, burning up to 250 calories in 20
minutes and will help tone many parts of your body, she said. Its kinder on the joints
than running and can be done virtually anywhere with enough space and height.
16

Look what weve been up to

What does a digital marketing company do to support its chosen charity? What
it does the best - encourage Tech Masters, web-lovers, designers and savvy social
media gurus to offer their skills and experience to plough through a website and digital
marketing wish list.

s
nd s 26
la ie 3id it 2
M tiv es
ac ag
eP
se

We Love the Web

Thank you to We Love the Web and everyone

who took part for being part of this really
innovative twist on charitable giving that gave us:
An app for people to follow our events and
fundraising
A totaliser to show how much money is
being raised from a particular project
We Love the Web, based in Hebden Bridge, asked
regional experts in IT, digital media and technology
to their Hack Day and give 500 hours for free
to help Heart Research UK. National Director,
Barbara Harpham, and one of our trustees,
Christine Mortimer, who runs her own marketing
and PR agency, MCG, went along too and watched
experts working for up to eight hours each to
come up with solutions to some of our more
technical problems.

A mobile-friendly site to make

it easier for people to fundraise for us
A game to show how people can keep
a healthy heart

Winner Hartley has a flippin good time

On a glorious sunny day, Hartley dazzled hundreds of
shoppers and local residents in the centre of Lowestoft as he
romped to victory in the mascot pancake race. With five other
mascots - a bear, bunny, monkey, lion and a frog - hot on his
heels at the start, he sizzled away and comfortably reached
the finish line, pan and pancake still in hand. Not just content
with coming first, Hartley then dropped to the floor to do a set
of press-ups - what a fit and healthy heart he is.
Hartley was, in fact, Rob Fawcett in disguise. Rob is the Healthy Heart Advisor at the Access Community
Trust and, thanks to a HRUK and SUBWAY Healthy Heart Grant, is helping local homeless, socially
excluded, disadvantaged people to make positive lifestyle choices.
Hartleys exploits didnt end in Lowestoft. He was next seen at Wetherby Racecourse where he
competed in the annual Mascot Race along with 80 other mascots.
Last year 18-year-old Keighley heart patient Josh Hudson, who suffers from a rare heart condition,
raced as Hartley. This time his father, Dave, very kindly donned our
mascot costume and raised nearly 200. Our thanks go to both father and son for
their continued support and efforts.

For more people stories www.heartresearch.org.uk

17

Company Help
Going global with Emerald
Bingley-based global publisher, Emerald Group
Publishing, has chosen Heart Research UK as
its charity of the year because its staff want
to help fund more research into heart disease.
The company has over 300 staff worldwide and
all are keen to get involved with payroll giving,
raffles, auctions and, for the more energetic,
sporting competitions and events throughout
2014. Their auction was especially successful
raising 2,944
Emma Stevenson, who is part of Emeralds Charity Committee, said: Heart Research UK is a

charity very close to my family therefore I will personally be encouraging staff to take
part in a range of activities to help boost our targets.

Bristol-based Research Media Ltd, part of the Emerald Group Publishing, has its own fundraising plan
for supporting Heart Research UK - a cake sale and raffle has already raised over 150 - while other
events include staff taking part in the Bristol 10k, cycling to work or car sharing during Bristol Big Green
Week and holding a Picnic in the Park event.
What it raises will go towards research and community projects, including our Helping Little Hearts
campaign that will help people live healthier, happier, longer lives.

Love Your Pyjamas

Our relationship with Damart with its Love your heart campaign
stretches back seven years. This year, the companys staff has designed a
set of limited edition heart-branded, 100% cotton pyjamas with 5 from
each set going to Heart Research UK.
The pyjamas are priced at just 25, with all money raised from the sales used
in our work to fund pioneering research into the prevention, treatment and
cure of heart disease, the biggest killer among women in the UK.
Damarts Marketing and E-Commerce Director, Phil Anderson is delighted
to be working with Heart Research UK for the seventh year. We hope not
only to raise as much money as possible for research with these Valentines
pyjamas, but also to increase awareness about the disease in order to help
our customers, staff and women around the UK look after their hearts.
Priced at just 25, the pyjama set comes in sizes 10-28. To order your pyjama
set please call Damart on 0871 882 1111.

18

Support from companies

Simplyhealth sends Sharron to school

Heart Research UK has a dedicated Schools Speaker Co-ordinator, Sharron Bright, thanks to
healthcare provider, Simplyhealths 150,000 donation from Likes to their Facebook page
campaign. The bulk of the money raised went on a project at the University of Sheffield to examine
the links between dental health and heart disease and the use of antibiotics in dental surgery.
The remainder was set aside for Heart Research
UK to go into primary schools in Leeds,
Winchester, Andover, Bristol and Manchester
and talk about the importance of heart and
dental health.
Sharron is really excited about the programme
because it covers many of the areas of study that
schools deliver and will reinforce the good lifestyle
habits that children should pick up at an early age.
Mark Cahill, a Key Stage 2, said: The

Simplyhealth is just as delighted to see that their

donation continues to provide Heart Research
UK with the ability to educate more people on the
importance of gum and heart health.

presentation was so engaging and really

wowed our staff and children. Sharron
was amazing! It was an excellent thoughtAny schools interested in hosting a session should
provoking assembly-the best seen yet!
contact Sharron Bright on 0113 297 6214 or
e-mail her at schools@heartresearch.org.uk

All-time high for Caravan Guard

Since 2009, caravan and motorhome insurance provider,
Caravan Guard, has exceeded expectations year-on-year with
its 1 donation for every time a customer chooses to have their
insurance documents sent online. It has been so successful that
it has now raised a huge 22,943 for Heart Research UK.
Our Lifestyle Officer, Katharine Greathead, and Income
Development Manager, Brian Curran, are pictured at the companys
offices in Halifax with Caravan Guard Director, Sally Wilby, and Head
of Development, Neil Menzies, receiving the cheque.
The success of Paperless Policies is phenomenal, said Sally. To have raised almost 23,000 for a
charity thats so close to the hearts of people is a huge achievement and were immensely proud.
Katharine Greathead of HRUK said: Not only is it good for the environment but great for hearts too
enabling Heart Research UK to continue helping hearts in Yorkshire and across the country.
Visit

www.caravanguard.co.uk

for more information

Join our Healthy Heart Mark scheme call 0113 297 6206

19

Company Help
Healthy workers are happy workers
The Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Mark scheme recognises employers efforts to improve the
wellbeing of employees by implementing health initiatives at work.
Healthy workers should lead to happy and
productive workers and those at UK Asset
Resolution (UKAR), the holding company for
Bradford & Bingley (B&B) and Northern Rock
Asset Management (NRAM); Christeyns UK, who
specialise in the industrial chemicals market and
Drax Power Limited, were all recognised by Heart
Research UK for going the extra mile.

Drax Power Limited has been given the silver

award for their efforts in keeping staff aware
of the heart healthy message. They have held
various healthy days including Fruit Friday and
introducing oily fish into the restaurant.
To find out how you could be a Healthy Heart
employer, call 0113 297 6206.

To gain gold, UKAR introduced a programme of

health and lifestyle initiatives for staff at both its
sites in Crossflatts (West Yorkshire) and Doxford
(Sunderland), to support them in making healthy
choices in diet, exercise and encouraging others
to follow healthier living.
Christeyns won their gold award by spreading
key healthy heart messages and holding various
events and challenges. With the support of
staff, they incorporated non-smoking days and
awareness seminars into their busy work days.

HRUK Chairman of Trustees, Richard

Hemsley, with winners and HRUK staff

Leeds banking staff put their hearts

into charity challenge
Staff at the eleven Barclays Bank branches in Leeds city centre
have adopted us as their charity partner through team leader, Lee
Desborough, whose 90-year-old grandfather, Les, firmly believes
his life was extended because of research into heart disease. He had
an operation on his mitral valve in 1969, following a stroke caused
by the faulty valve, at a time when new techniques to treat heart
conditions like valve problems were still being developed.
Hes had to deal with other life-threatening illnesses
like cancer of the thyroid and kidney as well as
having two replacement hips, but has overcome
everything thats been thrown at him.

Now grandson Lee and the teams at Barclays are

set to raise up to 20,000 with an Its A Knockout
event and a Barclays team in the Yorkshire Three
Peaks challenge as well supporting our Sing for Your
Heart event - all matched funded from Barclays.

If your company wants to fundraise for Heart Research UK then please get in touch with our
fundraising team on 0113 234 7474 or e-mail fundraising@heartresearch.org.uk

20

Support from companies

events
HRUK

Run, walk, sing for your heart

Our Virgin London Marathon runners

We were delighted to meet some of our Virgin London Marathon runners after they completed
the gruelling 26.2 miles event, each with their own story to tell and many with personal reasons for
tackling the course for us.
People like Canary Wharf worker Stefano Toffolo who was running in memory of his late father, Franco,
who died of a heart attack last year. Stefano, who is 50 and a managing director of Credit Suisse, had
only just completed the Brighton Marathon the week before so it was a tremendous feat to get round
the London event as well. Hes already raised over 8,000 - a fantastic sum - to be shared with us at
Heart Research UK and Dementia UK, another charity close to his heart.

Roxanne

Robyn

Roxanne Zarpak:
Bexley, Kent: over 1,800
Took part in memory of her grandfather, Lenny
Gardner, who died of a heart attack. The 24-yearold commented: I wouldnt have been able to get
round the 26.2 miles had it not have been for a
great cause that is very close to my heart. Raising
money for Heart Research UK and running the
London Marathon in memory of my grandad is
an experience I will never forget.
Robyn Jeffery, 25:
Hornchurch, Essex: over 2,600
Ran in memory of her grandmother who died
of heart problems last year. The charity has
been fantastic, always helping me if I needed
something. It was a rock supporting me if my
head ever dipped or I ever felt tired.

Danny

Stefano

Danny Meakin, 33:

Westhoughton, Bolton: over 2,000
Completed the event after his father Alan
survived a heart attack last year at the age of 57.
Im really happy to have exceeded the target
for fundraising and have been humbled and so
grateful for so many people to get behind fund
raising for Heart Research UK.
Katherine McFadzean:
Higham, Barnsley: 700
Katherine is a police officer who completed the
Great North Run for HRUK a couple of years
ago and was running after her father John had
successful open heart surgery. She says the
marathon is the hardest thing shes ever done.
After 26.2 miles I finished with the best feeling
and it made it all worthwhile knowing Ive raised
money for such a fantastic cause.

Were very grateful to ALL of our Virgin London Marathon runners who have once
again done us so proud. If you would like to run for Heart Research UK in next
years event, ring Lynne on 0113 297 6202.

Interested? For details visit www.heartresearch.org.uk/events

21

events
HRUK

Sing for Your Heart 2014

The Ukelele Stars performing

in Leeds Victoria Quarter

Get into the festive spirit with Sing for Your Heart
Its never too early to start planning for one of our biggest fundraising events of the year.
Singing together is good for you, too. It is an aerobic activity that increases blood oxygen and exercises
major muscle groups in the upper body, but dont just take our word for it. Julie Smethurst of the
Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus says her group loves taking part each year. We not only get to see

the joy on the faces of commuters who stop to listen, but we also appreciate the great
importance of Heart Research UKs work.
Carol Cox of the Vaughan Singers in Sutton Coldfield said they always get a warm welcome when
they sing in The Mall. The singers very much enjoyed taking part and really got into the

Christmas spirit, raising funds for a very worthwhile cause.

If you fancy singing for your heart this year, please contact Claire Priestwood now on
0113 297 6212 or e-mail her on community@heartresearch.org.uk

22

HRUK Events

HRUK
HRUK

theMidlands
Midlands
ininthe
Motown evening raises 900

Dynamic singer, Roy G Hemmings, formerly of the original Drifters, put on an

extraordinary performance for 150 guests at An evening of Motown event at the
Holiday Inn, Birmingham. The evening featured fantastic live music with all the
Motown hits from the 1960s performed by Roy along with The Love Supremes and
The Dictionary of Soul Band.
The event was organised by Gem Magazine, and Heart Research UK in the Midlands
was chosen as the recipient charity to host a raffle at the event which raised a
brilliant 900, which will be used to fund local projects in the Midlands Region.

Thanks
Thank You

Were grateful for the very generous donations in memory of loved ones:
400

Laura Bailey, grandmother of Midlands volunteer Melissa Elders

183

Mark Robert Arthur

60

Kathleen Morris

15 David Farmer
125

Andrew Wilshaw

25 Doreen Collingwood
Also, our thanks go to the following for the donations they have made to Heart Research UK:
1,310

Barry and Maria Sawbridge - Christmas Grotto and lights

1,000

Mark Hopton, via Richard Usmar - Premier Planning

654

Waitrose Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield - Community Matters

120 Direct donation from Great Midlands Fun Run

94

South Birmingham College - Christmas card Sale

30

Anonymous Donation

HRUK in the Midlands

23

HRUK
HRUK

theMidlands
Midlands
ininthe
Andrew Marshalls heart
and soul for HRUK

Andrew has been doing some fantastic fundraising through

Ethans Gift for Heart Research UK in the Midlands. The fund
is a memorial to his son Ethan who sadly died, aged three,
from heart problems. Since the start of the year, Andrews
fundraising has seen him taking part in a vintage fair and
organising raffles, as well as acting as the main organiser
for the increasingly popular Heart & Soul Nights that have
now become a regular fixture. By mid-2014, he had raised
a fantastic 2,336 and with the biggest Heart and Soul Night
yet at the Irish Centre, Digbeth, Birmingham before the end
of the year, as well as another smaller Heart and Soul event in
September at C.O.B.S in Birmingham, he is on the way for a record year.

Rais3e3d6
2,

Andrew and wife Julie with Ethan

Pacific Nurseries do us proud in the Midlands

Raised
628

Our friends at Pacific

Nurseries in Streetly,
Birmingham, chose
HRUK as their charity
this year and have
already done a great job
in raising money, holding
a series of events with
their customers.

Easter saw a fun Easter

Egg hunt around the
nurseries organised by owner, Peter Beharrell and
his wife Jane, and then there was what must be a
record-breaking grand Easter Egg prize draw which
raised an amazing 628. The Heart Research UK
team from the Midlands also spent the day at
Pacific Nurseries offering customers and staff free
blood pressure checks and healthy heart advice
and leaflets throughout the day which raised 170.

24

HRUK in the Midlands

Raised
230

Other events included

a charity car wash
organised by young
fundraiser, Freddie
Beharrell, the owners
son. Exhausted after
his fundraiser, Freddie
washed his way to
a fantastic 230 for
Heart Research UK in
the Midlands.

In the pipeline is an Evening Concert featuring

choirs The Half Circle Singers and Kaleidoscope
and singer, Lauren Alexandra, as well as a cheese,
wine and art evening to include the works of HRUK
supporter artist, Sue Howells.

Date for your diary

Pacific Nurseries will also be the venue for one of
our annual Sing for Your Heart events in the run up
to Christmas.
The Half Circle Singers will be back by popular
demand after a fantastic performance for the
shoppers which last year raised 430.

As Michael Pyke said:

The Half Circle Singers
thoroughly enjoyed singing
for Heart Research UK
in the Midlands at Pacific
Nurseries and would be more
than happy to take part again
in 2014.

Raised
417

Last year, our friends at Pacific Nurseries very kindly

added 417, proceeds from the 3 they donated
from every tree sold over the December weekend
that the choir performed.
Sing for your Heart events take place all over
the Midlands. If you want to make your Christmas
special with a Sing for Your Heart event or
organise your own event then please call us on:
0121 454 1799

Bag packers help out at Waitrose, Harborne

Bag packing is an important fundraiser for Heart Research UK as it not only helps fund our work but is a
great way for us to meet the public too. This time around, we were pleased to be joined by volunteers,
Boris Whybrow and his friends, Caroline and Thom, who were keen to get involved not just in the bag
packing but also in bringing large groups of people together to volunteer at other similar events, a great
boost for our charity.
A big thank you also to the store manager, Simon Whitmore, who once again
allowed our team of Midland staff and volunteers to pack bags, and thanks to
Waitrose customers too, who helped us raise a fantastic 500 from the day.

Raised
500

Contact our Midlands office on 0121 454 1799

25

Phoenix business lunch in Birmingham

Heart Research UK in the Midlands had the privilege of hosting Birminghams popular networking event, The
Phoenix Lunch Club, at the Hilton Garden Inn, Birmingham. The lunch gets local businesses and entrepreneurs
together and is one of the longest running networking business clubs in the city. It was not just an enjoyable
event, it also gave Heart Research UK the opportunity to introduce the charity and raise awareness of the work
we do in the Midlands region particularly, as well as encouraging corporate partnerships.

Pictured (L-R:) Dean Lake, Tessa Rhodes, David Cox, Brian Manley Green, Charlotte Timson

Pamper evening helps

support HRUK in the Midlands

Sheila Kelly-Trow of Gem Media

Heart Research UK in the Midlands, in association

with Clarke Willmott Solicitors, hosted a
very special Ladies Networking and Pamper
Evening at the Hilton Garden Inn, Brunswick
Place, Birmingham which raised over 550.

Raised
550

Guests were treated to a complimentary glass of

wine upon arrival, courtesy of Clarke Willmott, as well as
an array of carefully selected exhibitors including Estee Lauder,
Un Mundo clothing, Forever living Aloe products, Devere and
company Wine Tasting to name a few.
A special thank you goes to Debi Gross and staff at the Hilton
Garden Inn, who provided first class service and very kindly
donated a raffle prize as well as refreshments during the evening.
We would also like to thank all of the exhibitors for helping to
make the evening so enjoyable and for their raffle prize donations.
Thanks to all of the guests who attended who contributed to a
successful evening. Were hoping to run another similar event in
November 2014.
26

HRUK in the Midlands

Fundraising
for
Heart Research UK
Helping Little Hearts with our
Treasure Chest Appeal

Its not gold for cash or diamonds for dough. We can recycle all your forgotten,
unused, damaged or broken jewellery - even odd earrings, cufflinks and broken
watches - and pay for pioneering medical research or help people live healthier,
happier, longer lives.
Our Treasure Chest Appeal is a quick and easy way to support Heart Research UK
without asking for money. We send you our distinctive envelopes and you ask all
your family and friends to fill them. You could give them out to colleagues if where
you work would let you, or the club you belong to might also want to help out.
Bonhams Auctioneers very kindly auction all your unwanted jewellery and
Beaverbrooks very kindly sponsor our collection envelopes so that the maximum
amount raised comes directly to us.
Emmerdale star Verity Rushworth helped give a boost to one companys
Treasure Chest efforts. The actress who plays Donna Windsor in the TV soap
helped Leeds Building Society launch their campaign to support our appeal.
To get your envelopes, please contact Claire in the fundraising team on

0113 234 7474 or email community@heartresearch.org.uk

Any spare time?

Are you looking for something to do or would like another interest? You could become a Heart
Research UK volunteer.
Our team is raring to go and just waiting for you to get in touch. Theres plenty of things you could do:
collections in supermarkets or city centres
placing and looking after our collecting cans
o
rganise an event for us - a coffee morning, cake
sale, fire walk, raffle
enter a local run, cycle or walk
become an Ambassador
enhance your CV
or come up with your own idea. Whatever
you choose, our friendly, helpful team will be
there all the way with advice, resources and
encouragement.

Fundraising

Brian Curran, Heart Research UKs new Income

Development Manager is looking forward to
welcoming new volunteers.
They are at the heart
of all we do. The more
volunteers we have,
the more money we
can raise; the more our
profile will be raised
and, more importantly,
the more hearts well be
helping near you. Just
ring 0113 234 7474
27

Fundraising
for
Heart Research UK
Nominate us as your
chosen charity

Were grateful for all of those companies and businesses

who have decided to support us, many of which chose our
charity through a nomination and voting system.
Will you nominate Heart Research UK to be your
companys charity?
You may also know the next president of clubs like Rotary ,
Round Table, Lions, Inner Wheel or Womens Institute. Will you
ask them to support us in their presidential year?
We would also like to hear from any captains of golf clubs who might want to nominate us as their chosen
charity. Weve had many successful partnerships with golf clubs in the past.
In return well support you all along the way with fundraising ideas, help with events, and important
publicity to raise your profile.
For more information talk to Brian Curran on 0113 297 6204 or e-mail him on:

fundraising@heartresearch.org.uk

Why not organise an event for us?

Roxanne Zarpak ran for Heart Research UK in this years Virgin London Marathon (see page 21).
As part of her fundraising, she organised a quiz night and raised over 900 towards the 1,800 she
collected in sponsorship overall.
How you can help us
Whether it is a bake sale, coffee morning, sponsored
walk or black tie ball, you will be helping us to
continue our important work in the prevention,
treatment and cure of heart disease.
Our fundraising team are always available to offer
support and advice should you wish to raise money
for us, and would love to hear from you.
Bake sale

28

Fundraising

Quiz night

Contact them on: 0113 297 6212 and ask for

Claire or Lynne or e-mail: fundraising@

heartresearch.org.uk

Healthy
Heart
Grant Update
Heart Smart, Bury

Disabled people are more likely to be inactive and prone to

obesity and other risk factors, so to help address this Jigsaw,
a charity based in Bury, designed an exciting heart-focused
programme of activities for young disabled people.
With shopping trips (a first for many), cooking sessions, HeartArt workshops, quizzes and health walks, there were plenty of
opportunities to learn and maintain a healthy lifestyle independently.
Linking up with other health professionals, young people were able to see how their lifestyle and
measurements could have an impact on their heart later in life. Some started to keep food diaries,
others exercised more and many improved their health MOT scores. One person even dropped four
BMI points by the end of the project to reach the ideal BMI category.
In all, over 100 young adults, family members, carers, group leaders and volunteers were encouraged
to make positive lifestyle changes and take care of their hearts, and Jigsaw are now building on the
great foundations of the Heart Smart project, adding an intergenerational and cross-cultural element,
offering regular cooking sessions on healthy eating from around the world and making health walks a
permanent feature of the Jigsaw calendar.

Northern Stars Healthy Hearts, Solihull

People with learning disabilities are four times more likely to have
poor mental health and are also more at risk of heart disease.
This is why Northern Star Community Arts set up a programme of
learning and accessible activities with almost 40 people making
lifestyle changes and gaining independence and confidence in
meeting new people, trying new tastes and being involved with
the community.
Participants were encouraged to set their own goals around keeping their hearts healthy, in light of their own
specific needs. They completed mood charts and self-evaluation questionnaires after each session, and
feedback showed theyd absorbed the information given although it took time and patience due to their
limited concentration. Some are now taking regular exercise (one person has taken up fencing), their intake
of takeaway food has dropped dramatically after the health and cost issues were discussed and all have
increased their fruit and veg intake.
This HHG has highlighted Northern Stars successful work in the community and how the learning about the
heart permeates the Northern Star Centre.

To apply for a grant visit www.heartresearch.org.uk/grants

29

Latest
HRUK
Healthy Heart Grants
We continue to receive many applications
from across the country. Here are those grants
selected in our November round.
Bolton - Bolton Wanderers Community Trust
Wanderers Pulse of the Community, 10,000
The Heart of Football project, built on the experience of a previous HRUK and SUBWAY Healthy Heart
Grant, will be taken to seven to 14 year olds in primary and secondary schools, in areas with a higher
proportion of BME residents or social deprivation. A series of workshops on the heart and heart disease,
the importance of exercise, the dangers of smoking (including Shisha and chewing tobacco) and eating
more heart-friendly foods will be followed by an hour of physical activity to include Street 20 cricket,
circuits and mini football.

Milton Keynes - MK Dons, Sport and Education Trust

Get Onside 4 a Healthy Heart, 6,120
Nine to 11 year olds in 10 primary schools from areas of Milton
Keynes with high levels of obesity will board the Dons on Tour bus
to get them looking after their hearts by eating healthily, exercising
and setting goals. Theyll get their hearts beating faster on watt
bikes, play games that reinforce the Healthy Heart message and
record their daily step count using a pedometer for a month as
part of a Pedathon competition to win match day tickets.

Birmingham - The Richard D Wright Memorial Fund

Young Hearts, 9,920
Creative dance and drama workshops, cooking activities and a skills carousel that includes rock
climbing and archery will provide a platform to inspire 50 local young people aged six to 11 to get fitter
and lead healthier lifestyles for a healthier heart. These sessions will be run as part of after-school
and holiday clubs in the Soho Ward of Birmingham, targeting children with weight issues. A final
performance will be held to showcase the learning.

30

Healthy Hearts

Colchester, Hythe Community

Centre Association
Healthy Hearts for Kids, 7,460
Free fun fitness classes will see around 800
children aged two to 11 exercising more and
learning how to look after their heart in four
community centres in Colchester. Activities such
as skipping, running and sports day type races,
as well as heart-themed games and songs will
help under-fives and primary school children to
improve their motor skills, self-confidence and
learn about healthy lifestyle choices. Families will
be shown how they can exercise at home without
expensive equipment.

London, Empowering Families

Babies and Toddlers, 2,220
Good eating habits and encouraging exercise as play will be promoted at two
Parent Toddlers and Babies groups in Brents most deprived wards where
over 85% of parents first language isnt English. During each session, group
leaders will pass on the Healthy Heart message through small discussion
groups and run a mini Olympics to get young ones more active. Over 80
children and their parents will learn how to care for their hearts from an early
age through this project.

Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne YMCA

Love Your Heart Part II, 2,920
Building on the success of their previous grant, young mums and their children will join in weekly fitness
classes and discussion groups about healthy eating, smoking, drugs and alcohol. These mini boot
camps will be run by a YMCA Fitness Instructor and Youth Worker at different, accessible venues to
make the programme more appealing, such as a gym, the beach, a local park and swimming pool. Over
20 mums and kids will have some heart-healthy fun and look to make long-term lifestyle changes to
support their hearts.

Join our Lay Panel

Are you interested in community projects that promote heart-healthy lifestyles?
Would you like to join our Lay Panel and help score a dozen pre-selected applications twice a year?
For more information, please contact the Lifestyle team on

0113 297 6206 or 0113 297 6213

To apply for a grant visit www.heartresearch.org.uk/grants

31

HRUK & SUBWAY

Heart Grants

Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community

Development Trust - ICT Healthy Hearts
School Visits - Inverness
When it comes to hard-to-reach areas of the country then the Scottish Highlands are among the
most remote.
Over three school terms, Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Community Development Trust took an exciting programme
of heart-healthy activities to primary schools in Inverness and
beyond to inspire young girls and boys to exercise more and
take care of their hearts.
Thanks to additional funding the target was exceeded with 57
primary schools and 1,400 pupils taking part in all events.
Over four weeks, pupils got their hearts beating faster through
footworx, exercise sessions that are done to music and
based on the basic body movement patterns during a game of
football (the choice of music is key to motivating the class).
Caly Thistle player Gary Warren
with children Ellie and Heather

The respect and admiration of coaches and players within the

community clearly helped to captivate the pupils interest in
heart health.

All pupils completed Heart Health and fitness diaries at home to track their physical activity levels and
eating habits which showed how poor some of the childrens diets were.
Pupils got to tune into their hearts by using finger heart rate monitors to record their resting heart rates,
heart rate during activity and the time taken to get their heart rates to resting levels.

This was magnificent and one of the best sport

inputs I have come across in my career. The
equipment, music and heart rate monitors all
contributed to the excitement and enthusiasm
that each child took into the sessions each week.
Headteacher, Beauly Primary School.

32

HRUK & SUBWAY healthy heart grants

Case Study
- Mount Pleasant Primary School, Wick
Mount Pleasant Primary School is located in the far north of Scotland and has a school roll
of 177. Inverness Caledonian Thistles Community Development Trust delivered a four week
block to the Primary 7 class (28 pupils) with the sessions including information about how
to lead a healthy lifestyle. Pupils were asked to complete their log books to provide evidence
that they were taking the message on board and it was encouraging to see from these that in
times of fast paced lifestyles, the children were walking to school, taking part in other sports
out of school times, playing with friends and attending youth clubs.
The children steadily improved their fitness levels over the four week block, and increased
their knowledge and understanding of leading a heart-healthy lifestyle. They were
disappointed when the programme finished and clearly wanted it to continue. The teacher
also said that this was a very worthwhile input to class time, as they completed the log books
and it made them think about their weekly health and exercise prompting discussion in class

Olympic medallist drops by

Olympic bronze medallist Anthony Ogogo, was the surprise star guest at the launch of Access
Community Trusts 5,000 HHG to help disadvantaged communities in Lowestoft. It was a great
way for an Olympic athlete who is also a SUBWAY famous fan - to show his support for a
heart-healthy lifestyle and to meet everyone at the Bridge View Information and Advice Centre in
Waveney, Suffolk.
The year-long programme will be focussing on increasing
preventative measures such as exercise and healthy
eating through education and health checks with
Healthy Heart advisor Rob Fawcett.
Rob was on hand to talk to Anthony and the
centre users at the event about the project,
before giving the local boxer a quick blood
pressure check and the results showed
that everything was working perfectly.
(see Robs success as our Hartley
mascot page 17.)

HRUK & SUBWAY healthy heart grants

33

HRUK & SUBWAY

Heart Grants

Recently awarded HRUK and SUBWAY HHGs

We are in our fourth year of awarding these grants, made possible thanks to money raised in SUBWAY
stores and fundraising events run by store franchisees. Here are the latest grants awarded.
Scotland

Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community

Development Trust - ICT Healthy Hearts School
Visits - Inverness, 10,000
Building on the success of their first Healthy Heart Grant (see
Page 32-33), Craig Masterton and his team will now take the
heart-healthy message to another 80 rural primary schools
throughout the Highlands. The fun and popular footworx
sessions, will help them work on their fitness, agility, flexibility and strength. Another 1,500 pupils will be
involved, including completing Heart Health diaries at home to track their physical activity levels and
healthy eating habits.
Craig Masterton of ICTCT and
Liam Dalgarno from SUBWAY

West Country

Plymouth Raiders Foundation - Healthy Hoops & Hearts - Plymouth, 9,950

Professional basketball players will deliver a roadshow to 1,000 eight to 11 year olds from primary
schools in deprived areas of Plymouth focusing on their hearts and being inspired to make healthier
lifestyle choices. They will benefit from six weeks of basketball coaching, the opportunity to take part in
a tournament at City College Plymouth and work through a booklet full of fun, informative activities and
a food diary to highlight any unhealthy habits that need slam dunking for a healthier heart.
Wales

Port Talbot Community Sports Ltd - Heart in

Hand - Port Talbot, 8,260
A new project at the Port Talbot Community Sports will
work with 10 local youth clubs in Neath Port Talbot to
inspire teenagers to lead heart-healthier lifestyles through
workshops on the heart and the impact of diet, exercise,
smoking, drugs and alcohol. These will be followed by
football coaching, Tag rugby, Kwik cricket and other sports.
The aim is to get 160 youngsters to sign up to a hearthealthy lifestyle.

34

HRUK & SUBWAY healthy heart grants

HRUK & SUBWAY

Heart Grants
Wales

The Racecourse Community Foundation - Heart Life - Wrexham, 7,000

Over 600 eight to 10 year olds in Denbighshire primary schools will be learning about their heart, healthy
eating and cooking, the importance of exercise and the negative effects of smoking, drugs and alcohol.
They will then work on their fitness through a range of fun, individual challenges and team activities,
culminating in a football tournament at the end of the programme.
HTV region

Cheltenham Town Community, Education &

Sporting Trust - Score Yourself a Healthy Heart
- Cheltenham, 9,363

Cheltenham captain Steve Elliott with two

Brockworth Primary Academy pupils

This heart-focused five week programme will see pupils from

20 primary schools in Gloucestershire learning about their
hearts and healthy lifestyle habits and getting their hearts
beating faster during Futsal (small sided football games)
and exercise sessions. Over 1,200 nine to 11 year olds will be
involved and each child will receive a free Cheltenham Town
FC season ticket.

Granada region

Big Heritage CIC - Heart of Gladiator - Bromborough, 8,280

This innovative project will see young people with special needs get excited about keeping healthy,
eating well and having a heart as strong as a gladiator. A team of qualified nutritionists and fitness
trainers will create fun, physical activities based on the training regimes of Roman gladiators and explore
the Roman diet which was whole-grain, non-processed and packed with fruit and vegetables.
Central region

Cricket Derbyshire Community Foundation

- The Heart of Cricket - Derby, 9,154
Over 1,000 pupils from 20 primary schools in and around
Derby, where there is a high proportion of BME groups, are set
to be bowled over by this programme that will show them how
eating healthily and being active are key for a healthy heart.
Theyll get their hearts beating faster through cricket based
coaching and activities such as Kwik Cricket, non-stop and continuous cricket.

For more information www.heartresearch.org.uk

35

Join our SUBWAY

Helping Hearts Family 5Ks

Fancy having a lovely family fun day out at a place near you? Look no further than the UK-wide
SUBWAY Helping Hearts Family 5k events running throughout summer 2014.
Following the success of events in Leeds, Maidstone, Lanarkshire, Cardiff, Belfast, and Manchester, this
year there are 11 events open to all ages and abilities, participants to walk, run or push their way around
courses across the country to help raise money for Heart Research UK and SUBWAY Healthy Heart
community grants near you.
With kids under-12 going free, and early bird
registrations for the rest of the family at just 5.99
each, its the perfect day out for the whole family to
enjoy. Everyone who takes part will receive:
A FREE T-Shirt
A FREE SUBWAY TO GO! lunch
A FREE Goody Bag
FREE Family entertainment

SUBWAY Helping Hearts Family 5Ks are taking place in:

Saltwell Park, Gateshead; Bute Park, Cardiff; Victoria Park, London; Holyrood Park, Edinburgh;
Heaton Park, Manchester; Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire; South Downs, Bristol; Roundhay Park,
Leeds; Ormeau Park, Belfast; Endcliffe Park, Sheffield; Stanley Park, Blackpool
Please go to

heartresearch.org.uk/events/subwayfamily5k

All sponsorship money raised across the 12 events will go towards funding the Heart Research
UK and SUBWAY Healthy Heart grant scheme see pages 32-35 for recent examples.

Thanks to our partners

Heart Research UK, Suite 12D, Josephs Well, Leeds LS3 1AB
or call 0113 234 7474 Fax: 0113 297 6208
Email: mail@heartresearch.org.uk
Website: www.heartresearch.org.uk
Registered Charity No. 1044821 Registered Office: Suite 12D, Josephs Well, Leeds LS3 1AB
Company limited by guarantee No. 3026813 Registered in England.