pulse

Inside this issue

Focus on Infective Endocarditis
Helping Little Hearts
Heart Research UK in the
Midlands
Special Children
Keeping Womens Hearts Healthy
Lifestyle

Heading: Next issue Our anniversary

Picture 6: 50th Logo elements: Helping
Hearts near you for 50 years

Helping hearts near you

MEDICALRESEARCH
NICE guideline success
Heart Research UK research
In 2008, the National Institute
for Health and Care Excellence
(NICE) introduced a new guideline
recommending that dentists
no longer prescribe antibiotic
cover to patients at risk of the
life-threatening heart condition,
infective endocarditis (IE), during
dental treatment.
IE is a serious infection of the inner
lining of the heart and heart valves,
affecting around one in 10,000 people
every year in the UK. It has a high
mortality rate and severe outcomes
for survivors. Dental procedures are
thought to be one of the main causes
of infective endocarditis, with up to
one half of all cases being caused by
bacteria found in the mouth.
Heart Research UK, with a donation from healthcare provider, Simplyhealth, paid for a project by
Professor Martin Thornhill at the University of Sheffield that found a significant rise in cases of IE since
2008. Despite this new evidence, NICE announced in 2015 that the guideline would remain unchanged.
Pressure brings success
Following the death of her husband, Myles, Ash Frisby asked her MP, Chris Philp (South Croydon),
to take up the issue with NICE. Myles had an artificial heart valve and, soon after a visit to a dental
hygienist, where she says he was not given antibiotics, he contracted IE. He died two months later.
As Ash says, The devastation infective endocarditis can cause in someone with a replacement
valve should not be underestimated. It was truly shocking.
After pressure from Heart Research UK, Professor Thornhill and the MP, NICE has had a change of
heart and amended the guideline. It now states that antibiotic cover against IE is not recommended
routinely for people undergoing dental procedures. This allows flexibility, so that dentists and
cardiologists can recommend antibiotic cover when its in the best interests of the patient.
Welcoming the change, Chris Philp MP said that The evidence shows that high risk patients should
receive prophylactic antibiotics and the revised NICE guidelines now allows dentists to do this. I would
like to thank Prof Thornhill for his work and Heart Research UK for funding it.

Medical research

We are pleased to announce that Heart Research UK has awarded a further grant of
35,000 to Professor Thornhill to investigate the risk of developing, or of dying from
infective endocarditis, in patients with different predisposing heart conditions.

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an rts
en ea e 6
om r h g
W hei e Pa
t se

The work goes on

Prof Martin Thornhill
University of Sheffield | 35,000 6 months
Investigating who is at risk of developing or dying from infective
endocarditis
The problem
We have very little data quantifying the risk of IE in different groups
of patients or how long after procedures, such as insertion of an
artificial heart valve, patients remain at increased risk of developing IE.
Furthermore, there are a number of procedures such as insertion of a
pacemaker, where cardiologists have no idea if the patient is at increased
risk of IE or not.

The project
Using a national database that records every hospital admission, Professor Thornhill will identify and
follow up every patient admitted to hospital between 2000 and 2014 that had a diagnosis, or had a
procedure, that could have predisposed them to developing IE. By doing this, Prof Thornhill will be able
to identify all the different conditions and procedures that put patients at risk of IE; how great that risk is
and see, if and how, that risk changes over time.
The benefits
The findings will help doctors to accurately predict the risk of developing IE in patients with different
heart conditions. Importantly, this means that prevention strategies, such as antibiotic prophylaxis and
improved oral health can be better targeted to the specific needs of individual patients.

IE Facebook Support Group

Our campaign to change NICE guidelines has attracted many supporters who have come together
on our Infective Endocarditis Support Group on Facebook. People with IE and their families can now
support each other and share experiences, as well as helping to raise the money needed to fund
Professor Thornhills new project. Ash Frisby kick-started the funding for this project and through her
very generous donation, we were able to go ahead with this further research earlier than we expected.
Professor John Chambers, Consultant Cardiologist and Professor of Clinical Cardiology at Guys
and St Thomas Hospital in London welcomed the research: This project will be interesting

and useful since we do not have good data on what conditions are at high risk of
IE. We also need to educate patients in how to recognise IE and train GPs to have a
reflex to request blood cultures before starting antibiotics.

www.heartresearch.org.uk/grants

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

Novel and Emerging Technologies (NET) grant

Mr Steven Tsui
Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 249,612 - 24 months
Making every donor heart count
The problem
It is almost 50 years since the first successful human heart transplant and it remains the gold standard
treatment for severe heart failure. However, the increasing demand for heart transplants vastly
outstrips the limited number of usable donor hearts. Less than 3 in 10 of all the donor hearts made
available from donation after brain death are transplanted, due mainly to the harmful effects of brain
death on the donor heart leaving it too damaged to be transplanted.
The project
The aim of this project is to limit the injury to donor hearts after brain death, so that more are available
for transplantation. The team will test whether using a mechanical circulatory support system, called
ECMO, can restore good function to donor hearts after brain death. By providing blood flow to vital
organs in the donors, ECMO may help the injured donor hearts to rest and recover.
In this project, the donor hearts will be placed in a specially designed machine which provides warm
blood enriched with oxygen and nutrients during transportation instead of being placed in a cool box
as they are now and potentially deteriorate.
The benefits
This exciting research may lead to better use of valuable donor
hearts, fulfilling the wishes of more donors and their families who
have generously offered organs for transplantation. Above all,
it would give more patients who are dying from severe heart
failure the chance of a life-saving heart transplant.
Aravinda Page, Stephen Large, Steven Tsui, Simon Messer

Medical research project updates

Translational Research Project Grants
Prof John Greenwood
University of Leeds | 86,551 - 12 months
Studying the effect of oxygen on blood flow to
the heart in coronary heart disease
Narrowing of coronary arteries can reduce the
blood supply to the heart muscle resulting in a
mismatch between the oxygen needs of the heart
and the oxygen supply from the blood, resulting
in chest pain called angina. Giving extra oxygen to
patients with chest pain was first recommended
over 100 years ago and is standard practice, but there is some evidence that this has harmful effects
by unexpectedly reducing the blood supply to the heart muscle. This project investigated whether
breathing extra oxygen reduced blood supply to the heart muscle and if this was due to increased
resistance of the very small blood vessels of the heart compared to breathing room air.

Research Grants

Findings could lead to change

The research showed that, breathing high-flow oxygen increased the resistance of the tiny vessels
of the heart, explaining the reduction in blood flow. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) they
also showed that the oxygenation of the heart muscle was, paradoxically, reduced after breathing
high-flow oxygen.
This research helps us to understand the role of oxygen on the small blood vessels of the heart. It also
gives strong evidence that giving unnecessary oxygen should be avoided as this could potentially make
patient outcome worse by increasing the resistance of the coronary arteries and reducing oxygenation
of the heart muscle. This may radically change the way that patients with chest pain are cared for.

Dr Carrie Ferguson
University of Leeds | 60,140- 12 months
Is Interval Training the new exercise panacea?
Exercise is one of the most effective and
inexpensive ways of reducing the risk of
developing cardiovascular disease and slowing
the progression of the disease. However, fewer
than five per cent of the population achieve
the Government-recommended 150 minutes
of continuous, moderate-intensity physical
activity per week to prevent cardiovascular
disease. Many people say this is because
they dont have enough time and that the
exercise is boring.
Interval Training (IT) involves short bouts of exercise combined with periods of recovery and in the
supervised lab environment has been shown to improve cardiovascular health. IT takes less time and
may be a preferable way of exercising. The aim of this project was to investigate whether volunteers
prefer and are more likely to continue with IT in the home environment and also if it reduces measures
of cardiovascular disease risk.
Volunteers taking part in the study were overweight and inactive and, therefore, at higher risk of
developing cardiovascular disease in the future. They carried out three sessions of short-duration IT or
long-duration IT, both involving fast walking, every week for 12 weeks, unsupervised at home.
Positive results
At the end of the IT programme, volunteers had lost weight and increased their exercise capacity.
Most volunteers were positive about taking part in the programme, and questionnaires and interviews
showed that the exercise led to better health-related quality of life and a reduction in perceived
barriers to exercise.
More people need to exercise
The findings suggest that IT was achievable, acceptable and provided psychological and health
benefits. The goal now is to get more people taking part in exercise which improves their cardiovascular
health and larger trials are now needed before Government exercise guidelines can be changed.
The research was featured in the BBC1 television programme Inside Out, with two local celebrities
taking part.

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

Women
and their hearts
Women #LovingHearts with Damart

There are many myths and misunderstandings about women and their hearts. With the help
of well-known mail order fashion brand, Damart, and our Ambassador, Sally Bee, weve been
encouraging women to know more about their hearts and how to look after this precious organ that
usually never misses a beat.
Through the #LovingHearts campaign, supported by Damart, we are busy tackling common
misconceptions such as heart disease is a mans disease and providing heart information tailored
to the needs of women. Heres a few facts from our survey with members of the public and Damart
customers to make women think heart.
Menopause and your heart
Did you know that a womans risk of heart disease increases after menopause? If not youre not alone.
In our #LovingHearts survey of over 4,000 women, almost three in five women (57%) were unaware
that their risk of coronary heart disease increases after the menopause.
After the menopause, as levels of oestrogen decline, the risk of coronary heart disease increases.
Dr Catherine Dickinson, Consultant Cardiologist at Leeds General Infirmary had the following advice:
Women fear dying from breast cancer but the fact is that we are almost three times more likely
to die from heart disease. This survey shows that most women do not appreciate that their risk
increases after the menopause because falling hormone levels raise their risk of heart disease to
the risk levels for men.
...and theres more

150mins
Over four in five (82%)
women are not doing the
recommended 150 minutes of
physical activity a week.
6

Two in three (69%) women

dont know how much weekly,
moderate physical activity
they should be doing .

Women and their hearts

Four in five (81%) women

dont know that the maximum
daily recommended intake of
salt is 6g per day.

s s
en tip 3
om hy e 3
W alt ag
P
he ee
s

Dr Dickinson worries that so few women exercise enough, have their blood pressure
checked or know their cholesterol levels, but reminds women that, The good news
is that by taking a few simple and positive steps we can prevent or reduce the risk of
developing heart disease by following the guidance on exercise, knowing our blood
pressure is controlled and lowering our cholesterol levels.

Help your heart with a healthy heart check

When did you last have your blood pressure, cholesterol levels or waist measured?
Our survey showed that one in three women have never had their cholesterol checked, while
over one in four (28%) have either never had their blood pressure checked or not had it checked
within the last 12 months. Three in five (63%) dont know that a womans healthy waist circumference
shouldnt exceed 31.5 inches / 80 cm.
Low rates of monitoring blood pressure, cholesterol levels and waist circumference, could mean that
opportunities to identify women who are, or might be at risk of developing coronary heart disease in
the future are missed. This also means that opportunities to provide lifestyle advice and possibly treat
precursors to heart disease are missed.
Get heart savvy
You can take immediate steps such as increasing your activity and looking at how much salt is
included in your diet. Our updated leaflet Women and their hearts gives important information for
all women. Get yours at www.heartresearch.org.uk/women or call 0113 234 7474.
Why Im heart savvy
Heart attack survivor, Sandra McLeod, 47, knows only too well how important it is to be more proactive
about looking after your heart. Having experienced two heart attacks at the age of 45, I believe
that its important to look after our heart health and would tell everyone not to take their hearts for
granted. Making healthier lifestyle choices might reduce your risk of heart disease, as well as helping
you to recover, should something go wrong.
Sandras heart attacks were diagnosed as SCAD spontaneous coronary artery dissection - a rare
event where a tear forms in one of the hearts blood vessels. It can slow or block blood flow to the
heart, causing a heart attack, abnormalities in heart rhythm and sometimes sudden death. For me, it
was a sign to stop and think says Sandra. It just shows it can happen to anyone so its important not
to ignore any risk factors.
Damart is LovingHearts even more
As well as supporting our womens campaign #LovingHearts, Damart is
very kindly making a 4 donation to Heart Research UK from the sale of its
3-in-1 jackets. The jacket, modelled by our Ambassador, Sally Bee, from ITVs
Lorraine show, is available in blue, green or red. The jacket has a fleece that
can been worn on its own or together with an outer rain coat. The raincoat
can also be worn alone. Find out more about LovingHearts and the Damart
3-in-1 jacket at www.heartresearch.org.uk/lovinghearts or call the
lifestyle team on 0113 234 7474.
Damart are also one of our most heart-aware supporters and continue to
keenly promote staff health and wellbeing by encouraging staff to take on
health challenges such as a virtual Great Wall of China trek, Spinathon and
incentivised healthy pledges where staff are rewarded for quitting smoking,
eating healthily or being more active.

Join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/heartresearchuk

Look
what
weve been up to

Helping Little Hearts across the UK

Our ambition of making sure that children whove had heart surgery or live with a life-long condition
are encouraged to get their little hearts beating better and faster is becoming a reality. Each step of
the way weve been breaking new ground and now we are actually changing the way these children
will lead their lives after hospital.
We began with funding research at the University of Exeter which proved that encouraging these
children to exercise would give long-term benefit. Our Research Fellows developed an exercise toolkit
for the children themselves and those who care for them. The most important element that makes this
advice so effective is a unique personalised exercise prescription, tailored to each child. Together, they
give clinicians, the children, their carers and teachers the information they need to make sure being
active is safe and enjoyable.
Heart Research UK Research Fellow, Lucy Gowing, has been travelling
around the country giving more than 15,000 of our unique exercise
toolkits to 50 cardiac health professionals at all 14 cardiac centres in the
UK. 82% of all UK paediatric cardiac centres are now using the Toolkit.
Thanks to Heart Research UK, for the first time, children after
surgery or with lifelong heart conditions can have all the
information they need to be active and not stand on the sidelines watching or being wary of exercise. They can feel safe
enjoying an active life, helping their hearts to stay healthy.

Look what weve been up to

Its a family affair

Most people need a bit of encouragement to exercise
and when youre a child that has experienced heart
problems, it can be even more daunting. Parents,
too, are afraid and sometimes wrap their children in
cotton wool to avoid further problems. To overcome
this, Heart Research UK held a Parents Day at
the University of Exeter with, Dr Graham Stuart,
Consultant Cardiologist at the Bristol Royal Hospital
for Children and Professor Craig Williams of the
Childrens Health and Exercise Research Centre, who
took families through the toolkit and explained the
value of appropriate exercise for their children.
Parents also got to question the experts and learn about the different types of activities covered in an
exercise prescription, how to vary exercise intensity, health signs and factors to be aware of when their
child is exercising and when to seek help - topics that they would never usually have the time to discuss
during hospital appointments.
Feedback was very positive, with many parents feeling more confident in their role of helping their
children to exercise, including talking to school staff to make sure that their children could be involved
in physical activity in school. It was fascinating, and I found the whole thing, as a heart

parent, really inspiring. Every heart parent should attend these events.

Many parents also pledged to make immediate changes to increase their childs daily activity such as
walking their children to school rather than driving.

Watch out for the new exercise website

Our new exercise website is coming soon. Developed by the team behind our Childrens exercise
toolkit, alongside the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Department at Southampton General
Hospital, the website will be the first of its kind. It features the advice, information and practical tools
children and adults with congenital heart disease need to get their hearts fighting fit, as well as a
downloadable full Childrens Exercise Toolkit.
Lucy Gowing, our Associate Research Fellow, is extremely excited about the project. The new
website really is a heart-information-gym that every heart patient needs to visit before, during and
after their rehabilitation.
While schools, health professionals, adult and child patients can all access the website, Lucy
believes that it will plug a huge gap in the care of teenagers with congenital heart disease.
Teenagers and young people who are moving from paediatric to adult cardiac services can be
particularly vulnerable to missing out on exercise advice and support. We are confident that the
website will help some younger patients to continue exercising as they transition from one cardiac
service to another and when moving schools.

Find out more about the exercise website online

www.heartresearch.org.uk/CHDexercise

For more people stories www.heartresearch.org.uk

 HRUK

Masterclasses
Helping surgeons to be top of the class

Since they started in 2012, our unique Masterclasses have given health professionals the
opportunity to learn new techniques from world-leading experts in their specialist fields and
take their new skills back to local hospitals. These Masterclasses aim to plug gaps in professional
training and patients across the UK will benefit from the care of highly-skilled clinicians helping
hearts near you, thanks to money raised by our supporters.
In 2017, Heart Research will add a new Masterclass to the programme, promoting the use of minibypass or Minimal Invasive Extracorporeal Technologies. Held at the Cardiothoracic Surgery
Department, Castle Hill Hospital, Hull, this Masterclass will share the expertise of Mr Alexander Cale,
Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, in using a special heart bypass machine.
The most commonly used cardiopulmonary bypass machine in UK hospitals is based upon the original
machine introduced at the Mayo Clinic in 1953. Recently, a new machine has come into use which is
smaller, uses newer technology and, most importantly, evidence has shown that it is better for patients
as a direct result. However, the new mini bypass machines are not widely used in our hospitals, largely
due to staff being more familiar with the pre-existing type of machine.
In Hull, they have been using these new systems since 2005, performing the majority of their closed
heart procedures and increasingly open heart procedures, with it. Due to the improved outcomes with
this mini-bypass machine, we have asked Mr Cale and his team to share their expertise and experience
with other cardiac surgeons. Helping other teams to become more familiar and willing to use the
machine will lead to improvements in care and recovery for patients.

More Masterclasses in the programme

Major aortic arch surgery
Our third Masterclass in aortic surgery gave another group of cardiac surgeons the opportunity to
learn and experience this highly specialised surgery at the Human Anatomy Resource Centre at the
University of Liverpool, under the expert tuition of Miss Deborah Harrington and Professor Aung Oo,
Consultant Cardiac Surgeons at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital. This Masterclass, funded by
people who have had an aortic dissection and their families provided a unique opportunity to gain
hands-on experience of total aortic arch replacement, supervised by an expert faculty of both national
and international repute.
Exercise prescription for children with congenital heart disease
The take-up of our unique exercise toolkit and prescription form rests upon the clinicians caring for
these children having the knowledge and confidence to use them. This one-day course with speakers
from Bristol Childrens Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Sick Kids, Toronto and the University of
Exeter gave nurses, doctors and physiotherapists the opportunity to question experts and learn how to
use the toolkit to its full potential. Another is planned for 2017.
To help us to help hearts for the next 50 years through our Masterclasses, read our letter.
10

Masterclass

Aortic dissection

s
or
ad
ss 16
ba age
Am e P
ur e
O s

FEATURE

First global aortic dissection awareness day

Thanks to the teamwork of Heart Research UK, members of
our Aortic Dissection Facebook Awareness Group, Aortic
Dissection Buddies and Aortic Dissection Awareness UK,
the first ever, global aortic dissection awareness day was a
huge success. The day was a huge opportunity to improve
the care of people affected with an aortic dissection and
raise awareness of the condition among people and health
professionals.
Hosted by Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Professor John Pepper, at the Royal Brompton Hospital,
London, feedback from the event was extremely positive with most praising Prof Pepper for giving them
more information about the condition than theyve ever received before. This very experienced surgeon
spoke about new surgery treatments and techniques, before inviting people to ask him questions. Our
Chief Executive, Barbara Harpham, explained Heart Research UKs special interest in improving the
diagnosis and treatment of aortic dissection, and how our Masterclasses had increased surgical expertise
amongst young Consultants.
To highlight this momentous day, and focus attention on the condition and call for more information to
help diagnosis, aortic dissection survivor, Dan Burgess, gave other survivors and their families rides in his
black cab whilst being interviewed for social media.

Raising awareness in the North West

On the same day, Heart Research UK held another awareness-raising day at the Liverpool Heart and Chest
Hospital with local media. Speaking at the event were Natalie Barlow, Professor Aung Oo and Mr Omar
Nawaytou. Professor Oo spoke about how vital it was to get early diagnosis; the complexity
of quick diagnosis and treating aortic dissection. Mr Nawaytou, Heart Research UKs first
Aortic Fellow, focussed on the work the team at Liverpool are doing
to raise awareness of the condition at hospitals throughout the
North West.
Natalie, who went along with her mum, Margaret, spoke
about her brother, Neil, and his tragic death from an acute
aortic dissection at the age of just 34.

To hear her story, watch Natalies and

Professor Oos interview with Bay TV at

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

11

UK Aortic Dissection Awareness Buddies

Our new Lancashire Fundraising Group volunteer, Sarah Walton, was in fine form as she attended
a coffee morning hosted by the UK Aortic Dissection Awareness Buddies. It was Sarahs first event
in her new volunteer role and gave her an excellent insight into how important our work is and the
people it helps.
The busy bee that she is, Sarah was out again a week later to give Zumba session to students at
Southlands School to celebrate World Heart Day. Sarah also ran two marathons and two half marathons
in one month to raise money for Heart Research UK storming to a personal best time of 4hours 23 in the
Chester marathon.

Surviving an acute aortic dissection

after labour
Talia Dewhurst has Marfans syndrome, a genetic condition that
affects the bodys connective tissue. Below, Talia talks about the
aortic dissection she suffered at the age of 24, soon after the birth of
her second child, Esmay.

Esmay made her entrance into the world, at Birmingham

Womens Hospital, after a natural three hour labour.
Afterwards, I was so, so excited, tired, I also had pain in my
chest that was radiating into my back. I told the midwife that
I was gasping for my breath and felt like an elephant was sat
on my chest. The midwife simply gave me something for
indigestion and I was taken to the postnatal ward to bond with Esmay.
While I continued to complain about feeling unwell, the midwives didnt recognise that anything was
wrong. They beeped a doctor to see me numerous times, but the reply was that hed come when its
urgent. Many hours later, still in pain, I was taken to the high dependency unit where staff started to
take me seriously. Following an ECG (electrocardiogram) and MRI, I was transferred across the road
to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital by ambulance.

At the entrance, I was met by the Heart Team who explained that Id suffered an acute
aortic dissection and needed emergency open heart surgery. I was fighting for my life,
when we should have been bonding with Esmay and trying to decide who she looked
like. Instead, I wondered whether I was ever going to see her again, as I took a tablet to
stop my milk, after the surgery, I wouldnt be able breastfeed as I wouldnt be able to
put Esmay on my chest.
My family were told that I was very poorly and had just a 20% chance of survival, as I was put
into an induced coma, while the surgical team completed a 12-15 hour operation to repair my
aorta and save my life. Afterwards I remained in hospital for 10 days, three of which I remained in
the induced coma. I spent a few days in the intensive care unit before moving to a heart ward for
monitoring and rehabilitation. Thankfully I made a good recovery, but it still took me six months to
get back to good health.

12

Feature Aortic dissection

Company Help
Corporate partnerships are extremely important to Heart Research UK. Not only do
they help to fund our work, they also provide an opportunity to work with a business
to help their staff and customers to live healthier, happier and longer lives.

Wat-er way to go
Wat-er fantastic way it was to be helping hearts at the Leeds Waterfront Festival and cheering on the
corporate teams as they rowed their hearts out in a charity dragon boat for their local national charity,
Heart Research UK . Thanks to the Waterfront Festival for this opportunity and all the teams involved:

Revolution Viewing who decided it was a-boat time to get rowing

Direct Line Group who certainly didnt sink under pier pressure
Epiphany Search who were very sporting, sharking everyones paddles
afterwards
The Cod Fathers at Leeds Beckett University
Sky TV who had an oaring successful row
Tescos who had Usain Boat overboard cheering them on
Blacks solicitors who seas the day with a great row or two
The Canal and River Trust who showed class like Marlin MonRoe
Girl Guiding Leeds who were anything but nauti taking the first race in style
A team of speedy Buoys from the Yorkshire Rams
Primal Gym who almost reached roe-ing eggs-tacy in the final

Moor often than Knot these puns will have you groaning but, just one more, thanks to Siefer the Collie,
who was in fine bark chasing the boats and bringing home a collection bucket full of donations.

Company Help

13

Company Help
DS Smith bike, paddle, run

ed
s
i
a
R 000
50,

Four intrepid, senior DS Smith managers completed a triathlon of a lifetime with a 289-mile cycle,
paddle and run from Brussels to London, raising more than 50,000 for Heart Research UK, one of
their two charity of the year partners.
The eight-day pursuit began at the packaging and supply chain specialists European head office in
Belgium. The team cycled 170 miles from Roeselare to Calais, kayaked 19 miles across the English Channel
and completed the challenge with a 100-mile run from Rye to DS Smiths Group head office in London.
Disappointingly, severe weather conditions, forced the team to cut their Channel crossing short after
only nine miles, so the team completed the remaining 10 miles on a rowing machine.
David Richardson, Managing Director at DS Smiths Burscough site, said: This was one of the toughest
challenges I have taken on to date. It took me completely out of my comfort zone, particularly kayaking
against the immense sea swell of the English Channel and dealing with continuous blisters during the
run. Im so glad to have been given the opportunity and, on reflection, feel really proud of the enormity
of what we have achieved and the subsequent impact the money raised will have.
Fitness has now become an ingrained part of my lifestyle and I cant wait to take part in the next
challenge like this - my only concern is that they seem to be getting more extreme as they develop and
Im not quite sure Im ready to climb Everest just yet! It was a fantastic experience, undertaken with
some great friends in aid of two worthy causes - what more do you need to inspire you than that.
Sites join in
Not to be out done, 606 employees from DS Smiths 30 UK sites stepped up to the challenge to
support the Bike, Paddle, Run by doing their own step challenge , taking 54,474,543 steps, the equivalent
to 25,793 miles, during the seven-day event.
Gareth Jenkins, Managing Director of DS Smiths UK Packaging Division, said: Health and fitness is
really important to us at DS Smith and being able to undertake this challenge to raise funds for these
two fantastic charities was a great opportunity. Its a brilliant feeling knowing that, thanks to all of
our supporters, we have made a real difference. The whole company, along with our customers and
suppliers got involved, cheered us on and helped us cross the finish line.

To donate visit DS Smiths JustGiving page

www.justgiving.com/company/dssmith
14

Company Help

Raised
4,00
0
Blacks magic in lycra
Congratulations and well done to Blacks
Solicitors staff who completed the Yorkshire
Mafias Heart of sportive event, cycling 100km
(62 miles) on a cycle made foe seven. Yes
seven. Cycling the distance on a bicycle
is no easy feat and on a conference bike
the challenge is increased. The team were
determined to finish and raise as much money
as possible which they did in great style raising
nearly 4,000 for us in total.

If you would like to discuss a healthy

heart partnership with Heart
Research UK and get your employees

involved in living healthier lifestyles, please

contact Jodie on 0113 234 7474 or email

corporate@heartresearch.org.uk

Are you a 9-5

Heart Hero?
Become a Heart Hero and give to Heart
Research UK through our payroll giving scheme.
You give a regular or one-off donation to our
charity from your salary before tax. So, for
example, a 10 donation will actually cost you
8. Its a very tax-efficient way to give and once
it is set up with your HR department, it carries on
until you want to stop.

To find out more or to donate

through Payroll Giving please call us on
0113 234 7474 or email corporate@
heartresearch.org.uk

Start a healthy heart partnership - call 0113 234 7474

15

HRUK

Ambassadors

Our Ambassadors
spread the word
Skipping lessons with Silky

Children at Springvale Primary, in Penistone, had a day to remember when former world champion
boxer, Paul Silky Jones, turned up to teach them an important lesson about looking after their
hearts. The former world light middleweight champion told the children how to look after their hearts
and the importance of keeping active and playing sport, before a special skipping session.
With figures showing that just 21% of boys and 16% of girls aged 5-15 in the UK actually meet the
recommended levels of physical activity at least 60 minutes a day skipping is something they can easily
do to top-up their daily activity. Silky, was delighted to pass on some of his health advice to the children:
Its so important to start good healthy lifestyle habits when you are young because they will last you
for a lifetime.
Andy Platt, Head Teacher, was also impressed:
Fostering an enthusiasm and positive attitude towards living a healthy lifestyle and taking regular
exercise is a value we hope to instil in our pupils and Silky helped us to do that.
Youre never too old to skip
Silky was also on hand to give a skipping lesson at our Leeds Corporate Health Heart Walk. Silky is
especially keen to reach men who are in, or approaching, middle age with the healthy heart message.
Skipping is an activity that people can do at their own pace, is cheap theres no expensive equipment and can be done in the home, garden or gym.

16

Heart Research UK Ambassadors

Were always pleased when our Ambassadors drop into the office, especially
when they can use their own stories and experience to give some advice to our
supporters. Adrian Purtell and Tommy Frank are Ambassadors from two very
different sports but they are a true inspiration to others to live a healthy heart
lifestyle every day.

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Messages from the heart

Adrian, rugby front man with London Broncos, survived a heart attack following a Magic Weekend
game against Leeds Rhinos in May 2012. He was just 28 when he collapsed and needed emergency
treatment at Leeds General Infirmary. As he said,
It was scary when they first told me and I was there by myself. At that point I didnt know anything
about the situation and thought am I going to die?
Adrian fought his way back to health and top-flight rugby and gave his personal top five tips for
other survivors:
1

Some days are a lot harder than others so its ok to be upset and scared but talk to
someone - family, friends or someone you can trust

Be positive; every days a blessing

Take each day as it comes. Your recovery isnt a

sprint and everyones recovery is different

Be as active as your body lets you. For me, it was a

walk around the block, but it might be a walk around
your house

Make changes to your diet. Your body appreciates

eating healthy food and youll feel better for it too

Young Yorkshire boxing champion, Tommy Frank, called in

ahead of winning his first professional boxing match. Tommy
had corrective surgery at five-years-old to repair a hole in his
heart and is keen to promote an active lifestyle to children
who also have a heart condition, as a way to boost childrens
confidence and self-esteem.
Tommys shared his experience of heart surgery for our
younger supporters:
It started with a heart murmur, picked up when I was two
years old. They then discovered that I had a hole in my heart
and, when I was five, I had corrective surgery to mend the
hole. Afterwards my heart was as
good as any ones. I started boxing
at 12-years-old; Ive had 45 amateur
fights and at the age of 23, Im turning
professional. I want children with
heart conditions to know that they can
still be successful. If you are having
surgery too, afterwards your heart will
be good, so just shoot for the stars.

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

17

Special
People
Across the country theres lots of people raising money for Heart Research UK.
We will make sure that what they raise locally, will be spent locally.

The ups and downs of the Lord Mayor of Leeds

Being a Lord Mayor is a great honour and, sometimes, they are called upon to do some unusual
things in their year of office. The Lord Mayor of Leeds, who has chosen Heart Research UK as one of
his charities, was delighted to be the official starter of the Leeds 10k.

It was a very proud moment for me, as Lord Mayor, to have the honour of starting this
annual event and then to enjoy myself taking part to raise money for my two chosen
charities. The turnout and reception from the Leeds public will live long in the memory
and I would like to personally offer a big thank you to everyone who raised money for
my charity appeal.
The Lord Mayor didnt, however, enjoy being locked up in the olde gaol cells underneath Leeds
Victorian Town Hall quite as much. As one of the prisoners in a charity jail break, he joined the Super 6,
and spent time in the cells with a sentence to raise a minimum of 1,000 to gain his freedom. What was
his heinous crime? The first citizen was charged and found guilty of terrible singing on the terraces
along with his fellow felons who were locked up for eating too much chocolate; buying gadgets that
they never use and non-regulated facial hair.
The Lady Mayoress also had a special day when she hosted an afternoon tea in the splendid Banqueting
Suite of the Civic Hall. Her guests, from across the city, were kept entertained by the Leeds City Council
Choir, two Dukes and Jade Tindall.

To support the Lord Mayors

fundraising please go to:

18

Special People

www.justgiving.com/lmca

Aint no mountain high enough

Congratulations to Michael Kelsall for climbing
Mount Toubkal with nine of his colleagues from
Acre Resourcing in Holborn, London. Michael
scaled the 4,167 metre peak, part of the Atlas
Mountains, located just south of Marrakech,
Morocco, across steep and rocky terrain despite
being diagnosed with moderate coronary
heart disease in December 2015. His diagnosis
came after a year of medical tests and many
discussions with different health professionals.
As Michael says:
By no means is this diagnosis debilitating, just
more motivation for me to make healthy life-style
choices and manage the potential reversal of
my condition. With my second son arriving in late
November, this may be my last opportunity (for a
while) to take on such a momentous challenge.

Get together with the Brocklebanks

Proud mum, Amy Brocklebank, and her family and friends hold annual events each year to
celebrate the successful heart surgery of her precious son, Louis. The bubbly five-year-old had
surgery at 14-weeks-old to repair two congenital heart defects. While the surgery was successful,
Louis is still regularly monitored as he experiences bradycardia (slow heart rate) and problems
with his heart rhythm.
This year the family raised 2,030 for our Helping Little Hearts campaign. Amys friends completed
a gruelling 90-mile cycle ride between Sheffield
and Skegness. Thankfully, little Louis wasnt
required to join the cycle ride, instead he
enjoyed a very successful talent show
in the local sports and social club.
We caught up with a very excited
Louis and his sister Jody, age
8, to thank them for their
hard work and for thinking
of us. The pair showed off
their skipping skills and
encouraged people to
give more money to Help
Little Hearts.

Raised
2,030

Join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/heartresearchuk

19

The Magnificent 7 ride again

Intrepid adventurer, Geoff Major had decided that it was
time to hang-up his hat, boots and mountaineering poles,
but not before he completes his biggest challenge yet - the
Magnificent 7. Seven tough, but fulfilling adventures, taking
place over two months. Geoff, who has already completed a
North Pole trek and crossed the Sahara Desert, is looking for
pardners (individuals, teams and businesses) to join him to
complete one or more of these adventures. The Magnificent
7 challenges are:
1

A 175m climb of Tryfan in Wales (with experienced

climbing leaders)

A 25-mile fast-hike over the Yorkshire Three Peaks

Row the 22- mile English Channel

Cycle 900 miles between London to Edinburgh via Cardiff, Dublin and Belfast on a bike made
for seven in the Capital Tour

Join the relay team to swim a section of the 23-mile Loch Ness

Keep three pieces of gym equipment going non-stop for 48 hours in Race 48

Attempt to set a new Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest barge pull from
Liverpool to Leeds
Contact Jodie to find out more,
email corporate@heartresearch.org.uk or call 0113 234 7474

The kids are doing it for themselves

Not many children can say theyve completed a Channel swim to
help little hearts, even if it was virtually in their local pool,
but Alfie Hodgson, 12, and Emilia Fellows, 11 can.
Alfie swam in memory of his great grandad,
Henry, while Emilia hopes that our medical
research will continue to help children
like her cousin, Georgia, who has a
heart condition.
Enthusiastic fundraiser, Imogen
Tankard, 6, has been singing for her
heart again, as Broadgate Primary
School, Leeds, held their second
Sing for Your Heart event to raise
money for Heart Research UK.

20

Special People

Special
Children
Amber wins Yorkshire
Children of Courage Award
The atmosphere was electric, the room tense and we were
on the edge of our seats as BBCs Steph McGovern opened
the golden envelope for the Yorkshire Children of Courage
Awards Young Fundraiser of Year and the winner was eightyear-old, Amber Buckle, Heart Research UKs own star
fundraiser.
Amber decides all her challenges herself. So far, she has scaled
the heights of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, played the ukulele for
HRUK Ambassador, Adrian Purtell, and learned the secret of
making reindeer food to sell at Christmas. Everything she raises
is given to our Helping Little Hearts campaign to buy exercise
toolkits for Yorkshire children with heart problems.

Amber and proud Mum, Kate.

Amber, who never misses an opportunity to throw down the

gauntlet, challenged Brett Delaney, her Leeds Rhino hero to a
10m race and our money will be on Amber to win. Guests on the
night, the Chuckle Brothers must have been relieved, it could
have been from me to you, you to me.

Join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/heartresearchuk

21

Ahoy there me Brownie hearties

Creating a healthy heart poster and games, planning and
preparing a healthy packed lunch and showing that they
understand the importance of exercise and the dangers
of smoking have earned the 186th Sheffield Brownies their
Healthy Hearts badge.
To celebrate, they became pirates for the night, playing games
and enjoying a Learn by Heart talk from our own Community
Engagement Officer, Rachel Brooke. The pirates also found
treasure with a bounty of 23 large bags of unwanted jewellery for
our Treasure Your Heart collection. Rachel promised to sail the
treasure off to auction and the money raised will be spent helping hearts in Sheffield.

The girls loved having Rachel visit and they made her very welcome, said Brown
Owl. It was clear that they took all the information on board and the important
thing is that they learned about their hearts in a fun way, reinforcing important
messages. I would recommend a Learn by Heart talk to any school or guiding or
scouting unit as its a great way to help look after ours and other peoples health.
If you have some old jewellery for Heart Research UKs Treasure Your Heart campaign, go to
www.heartresearch.org.uk/treasure or call 0113 234 7474 to speak to one of our team.

We need you
We are extremely lucky to have a great army of volunteers who donate their time and skills to help us
with our work. Volunteers are essential, helping us to make sure that events run smoothly, collections
are counted and our new fundraisers feel supported. Our volunteers do all sorts, from posting
t-shirts to our fundraisers, or bag packing in supermarkets to office administration
and designing posters. To grow across the UK and help more hearts, we need
more volunteers.
If you have time to spare and youd like to help hearts near you, wed
love to hear from you. You could be joining a friendly, dedicated team
in one of our offices, at an event or you may choose to help at home.
You may even learn new skills along the way and, certainly, will be
most welcome.

Rachel is waiting for your call on 0113 234 7474

or e-mail community@heartresearch.org.uk

22

Special People

y k
th r
al Ma 32
He art age
He ee P
s

for Helping hearts

Abigail Morrison
Cheltenham Half Marathon
112
Ali Paton
London to Brighton Bike Ride
1,369
Andrew Binnie
Race to the stones
1,456
Andrew McCracken
Berlin Marathon
472
Andrew Semple
Sweepstake
27
Angie Moore
Book sale and tea party
907
Anne Kinderlerer
London to Brighton Bike Ride
40
Caroline Webber
My Run My Way
85
Corinna Deeble
Weymouth Half Marathon
455
Debbie Scriven
Reading Half Marathon
881
Elaine Dray
Donation in lieu
of birthday presents
200
Ernest & Eileen Beedle
Donation in lieu of Golden
Wedding presents
200

Fiona Ridley
My Cycling Marathon
619
Gary Govier
Sweepstake
20
Gladys Hollows
80th Birthday Party
100
Graham Baines and family
Coffee Morning
84
Hazel Forrest
Church Coffee Bar
80
Jamie Carter
Yorkshire Half Marathon
360
Jean Krasocki
Mothers 90th Birthday Party
420
Jenny Sneap
Robin Hood Half Marathon
410
Jo & Kevin Price
Charity Garden Festival
2,333
Lucy Brodvich
Brodders Plodders 5 mile fun run
694
Matthew Wilson
Yorkshire Marathon
1,550
Michael Clark
Fairground Organ
38

Nicola Swift
Wear it Red
61
Patricia Witham
Gingerbread Sale
95
Phil Robert
Mirador Challenge
357
Richard Knill
Its a Pockout
500
Robert Richards
100km Walk
125
Sarah Marlow
White Collar Boxing Match
158
Sarah Walton
Wacky Races
1,250
Simon Hill
Robin Hood Half Marathon
120
Steven Dunkley
Bedale 10K
160
Steven Hawkins
Mansfield to Skegness Cycle
994
Stuart Jones
Chalfort Garden Concert
411
Thomas Moss
Clarenden Half Marathon
65
Zoe Woodworth
Access Ability Sponsored Walk
502

Join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/heartresearchuk

23

events
HRUK

Run, walk, sing for your heart

Celebrating giving
Celebrating and giving to charity is becoming increasingly popular. Whether its giving donations
instead of presents at a birthday party or wedding, or making a donation at the end of Ramadan,
Lent, Diwali or Passover, it can add to the enjoyment of your special celebration. Youll be helping
hearts near you and know that the medical research into the prevention, treatment and cure of
heart disease we fund will help many people for years to come.
Memories and Ramadan
Jasmeen Mameen and her family have raised more than 3,000 for Heart Research UK as part of their
end of Ramadan celebrations for the last four years. Their donation is their own very personal way to
remember a loved one who died due to a heart problem.
Here are a few ideas to get your celebration started:

24

In lieu of cards - Do away with celebration cards and instead donate 3, and we will send you an
eCard to email to everyone to let them know that you have donated to Heart Research UK instead
of buying cards

Celebration coffee morning - Get together with friends, family or colleagues for a special coffee
morning and ask people to make a donation as they enjoy their favourite cuppa

Pay it forward Its becoming more popular to put-aside the money saved when giving
something up, such as smoking, eating chocolate, or during times of religious observance such as
Ramadan, Lent, Diwali, Passover

Dress down days and fancy dress - Pick a day and ask all your colleagues or pupils to donate 2
to dress down or wear fancy dress for the day

Bake off - Do any of your colleagues or friends fancy themselves as the next Bake Off champion?
Gather a team of lucky judges for a bake off and find out whose pies or puds are really the best.
Charge 2 for people to enter the competition

HRUK Events

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#TeamHeartResearchUK needs you

People up and down the country have been pulling on the lycra to raise money for
pioneering medical research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.

The Millington brothers, Matt and Nick completed the Jane Tomlinson Leeds 10K in an impressive
58 minutes and 34 seconds. It was their first running event together and they are delighted to have
completed the event. Matt, who works for Made in Leeds TV, was delighted:
It was an amazing day. We couldnt
believe the crowds of people taking
part and raising money for worthy
causes. To be in the mix on such a
huge day for Leeds was an incredible
experience and we managed to beat
our 60-minute target.
We were raising money in memory of
our Grandad so it meant a lot to cross
that finish line, even though at times
during the race I thought it would never
happen.

Were looking forward to more people taking part in 2017.

Keep your eyes on our website:

www.heartresearch.org.uk

for more information

Marathon effort to beat aortic

dissection
An epic year of running for Keith and Catherine Fowler (pictured) has
resulted in two very well worn pairs of trainers pacing over 5,000 miles
to raise 5,000 towards the cost of hosting our Masterclass in aortic
arch surgery. The runs have ranged from races along beautiful coastlines
to running through the streets; 10Ks to ultramarathons. Highlights have
included Catherine meeting paramedic, Simon Nash, at the Run London
10K and persuading him to champion improved care for people with
suspected aortic dissections and seeing Keith dressed as a Pokmon.
Their challenge has been gruelling with the couple juggling training, racing,
raising children and working, but they have certainly done the memory of
Catherines father, Tim Fleming, proud.

Interested?
For
details visit www.heartresearch.org.uk/events
HRUK in the
Midlands

25

Donations
in Memory
Remembering loved ones
is helping hearts near you
Going through the loss of a loved one can be a lonely and difficult
time, but the love and support of our family and friends shines
through to help us have happier memories. Giving in Memory of a
loved one, can also bring comfort. Whether you choose to have
a collection plate at the funeral, ask people to make a donation in
lieu of flowers or set up an in-memory fund, your donation will be
warmly received. You will be helping hearts near you, paying for
research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease
and helping to protect future generations from heartbreak. To talk
about donations in memory, please call 0113 234 7474 or email
development@heartresearch.org.uk.
We are extremely grateful for all those who have remembered loved ones in a lasting way with a Donation
in Memory:
Barry Sawbridge
Sadly, we lost one of our proudest supporters, Barry Sawbridge, following a heart attack. Barry and his
wife, Maria, brought joy to their local community with their annual charity Christmas Lights display.
Heart Research UK, and in particular our team in the Midlands, would like to thank Maria Sawbridge and
family, and friends for setting up the Barry Sawbridge Memorial Fund with an in memory donation of 678.
The Memorial Fund will help us to continue Barrys great work of helping hearts here in the Midlands.

26

Donations in Memory

Peter Adamson | 160

Hirji Chhagan Makwana | 75

Mr Atkinson | 140

Richard Mallinson | 295

Irene Boswell | 20

Maureen Markwell | 258

Jimmy Breakspeare | 702

Mr Maskell | 25

Edna Reeves | 80

Brian Masterson | 139

Bronwen Isobel Atherton | 235

Dorothy Mattocks | 20

Janet Brett | 184

Christina Miller | 20

John Bristow | 20

Stuart Morrison | 40

John Brough | 73

Dorothy Mould | 98

Stephen Richard Butters | 131

Mr Nash | 150

Ronald Cane | 20

Paul Oates | 60

Kathleen Clay | 10

Geraint Owen | 130

Francis Newman Cory-Wright | 23

Neil Peterkin | 20

Selina Davis | 10

Frederic Phillips | 20

Peter Farley | 50

Alan Roy Richards | 412

Anthony Forrester | 370

Brian Ricketts | 25

Gillian Foster | 112

George Duncan Ross | 400

Myles Frisby | 20,000

Michael Rutt | 230

Terry Garrahan | 10

Reginald Sampson | 350

Robert Hill | 570

Robin Seetulsingh | 1,150

Geoffrey Maurice Goodrick-Meech | 20

Rosemary Selvey | 30

Mr F Grady | 100

Leo Shackleton | 90

Eric Gregson | 95

Roger Stigant | 50

Bernard Guthrie | 262

Mr Suter | 100

Rosalyn Anne Harrison | 20

Jelliben Tailor | 150

Tony Harrison | 50

Olive Tanner | 210

Robert Hart | 115

Mr Taylor | 100

Patricia Harvey | 290

Robert Tooth | 252

Jennifer Hendy | 331

Nora Townley | 800

John Henry | 10

Patrisha Tully-Kedge | 120

Adam Hoyle | 322

Anthony Walker | 251

Len Hughes | 10

Bryan Walsh | 100

Michael Hughes | 35

Dennis Walton | 142

Don Jayawardena | 10

Edward Webb | 300

Mary Keuchel | 30

Keith Webb | 50

Kenneth Frank James Knight | 208

Bernard Welsh | 202

Rosemary Lee | 2,000

Ernest Wilkinson | 261

Sonia Lee | 350

Jeffrey Williamson | 15

Shirley Lewis | 65

For more information www.heartresearch.org.uk

27

HRUK
HRUK

theMidlands
Midlands
ininthe
Premier Planning
smashes target
Battle of Hastings Lunch
Captains of industry joined host, Richard
Usmar of Premier Planning PLC in Birmingham,
for a very special lunch at the offices of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to celebrate the
950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. Lord
Digby Jones, former Director General of the CBI; Terence Lister (Listers, VW Audi Group), Tim Watts
(Pertemps) and 13 other guests all enjoyed a superb dining experience and champagne and wines
from the generous hosts personal cellar collection. Richard, who underwent heart surgery in 2015,
encouraged his guests to donate and support Heart Research UK projects in the Midlands. His target
for this event was 20,000 but was delighted when pledges, cash and cheques supported by gift aid,
smashed this, raising an overwhelming 35,000.
Richard said:

When life is good to you, you have to put a bit back for those who arent so lucky.

HRH Queen Elizabeths 90th Birthday Party.

A huge thank you to Waitrose Holborne for
nominating Heart Research UK in the Midlands for
the honour of attending Queen Elizabeths 90th
birthday party in appreciation of Midlands Regional
Manager, John Lloyds excellent community
relationship with the branch and wider community.
Four extremely happy Heart Research UK
representatives took a bow as they took their seats
next to the royal box, which was represented by HRH
Prince Edward the Earl of Wessex and HRH the Countess of Wessex.

28

HRUK in the Midlands

A hearty night of Irish dance

The newly crowned world champions, John Carey Academy of
Irish Dancing, treated an enthusiastic crowd to a world-class
performance of traditional and contemporary dancing at the
Irish Centre, Digbeth. The evening was organised with the help
of supporter, Liam Murphy and his daughter, Colleen, who was
one of the dancers in the world champion team. The evening,
sponsored by HRUK charity partner, BMG Research raised
3,500 for helping hearts in the Midlands.

DS Smith - Helping hearts with one in the net

Competition came to Louth when 22 skilled football teams
from DS Smith sites across the country descended on Louth to
compete in the annual Healthy Heart Cup. Our very successful
partnership raises money to fund our pioneering medical
research thats aimed at benefiting patients sooner, while also
motivating staff to be heart healthy.
Home advantage worked for the local Louth DS Smith sites, with the team from SFB narrowly beating
Northfields in a nail-biting finale. The cup event also raised close to 3,000 that will be used helping
hearts in the Lincolnshire area.

Brett scores a try for healthier

little hearts
Our Healthy Heart Mark with DS Smith has inspired employee, Brett Orrow, to
achieve his dream to get children more active. Brett recently started his first
tag rugby club for local children and organised a festival at Biggleswade Rugby
Club. The event was a huge success raising 374. The winning team were
presented with the Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Cup and all players were
given a silver salver. Brett is spot on supporting children to be more active and
were looking forward to hearing more from Brett in the future.

A hearty thanks to fete-goers

The Riverside in Tiddington played host to the first Forest of Hearts Fete,
which was a huge success raising 1,800 to be divided between Heart
Research UK in the Midlands, GAGA UK and Forest of Hearts. Fete-goers
were treated to their hearts delight with stalls, dog shows, and music
from John Andre, In 2 Cultures and Stratford Strummers alongside
raffles and competitions.

Contact our Midlands office on 0121 454 1799

29

adi Group scores while

helping hearts
It was a tense final when twelve teams battled it out in the
adi Group six-a-side charity football tournament that raised
3,000. Deutsche Bank emerged as the winners following a nailbiting penalty shoot-out with KPMG, watched by a large crowd
of supporters, volunteers and kept in check by no-nonsense
referees affiliated with Birmingham County FA.
Speaking about the partnership, which has, so far, raised over
8,000, James Sopwith, Group Sales & Marketing Director,
said: It was fantastic to see so many teams get involved in this
years event, and to see such a diverse representation from
the Birmingham business community. Heart Research UK is an
exceptional organisation and we are pleased to be doing our
part to support them as our charity of the year for 2016.

EKVs 10th birthday celebrations

EKV Design were delighted to celebrate their 10th birthday with a series of events that ended with EKVs
Helping hearts Charity Evening. After the success of last years event, which raised over 4,000 for
Heart Research UK, this year, EKV Design topped that, reaching almost 5,000 thanks to the generous
support of their partner companies and friends. This fabulous evening of food, drink, live music, roulette
entertainment and fundraising auction helped EKV Design beat their total fundraising target of 10,000
for the year.

Castle Bromwich Singers hit the high notes

Long-term supporters, the Castle Bromwich
Singers, have achieved their best fundraising
total to date, raising 3,600 after 12-months of
concerts and guest appearances. The cheque
presentation was a heart warming affair.
The Singers thanked the Midlands team for
the support they have given, as the choirs
nominated charity.

Testing brains to help hearts

Thank you to Anne Grainger, her family and supporters, as she continues to raise money for the Mick
Grainger Memorial Fund with Heart Research UK in the Midlands. 2,000 was added to the memorial
fund after Anne organised a successful quiz night and raffle, with John Lloyd, our man in the Midlands,
as quiz master.

30

HRUK in the Midlands

Family Life Club Magazine

Cover
We can share the healthy heart message with another
28,000 people, as well as telling them about our work in
the Midlands, thanks to Family Life Club. The long-running
Central England family magazine featured our work on the
front cover of their latest magazine, inside page and in a
double page article. Heart Research UK in the Midlands
also received a 1,000 donation for the article.
We will appear in the magazine another four times in the
future, giving us a great opportunity to engage with people
who can support our work across the central region.

www.heartresearch.org.uk/midlands-events

Thanks
to our partners in the Midlands
Raffle and auction prizes

Sponsorship, events and donations

Virgin Atlantic | Two flight tickets to New York

BMG Research | 1,500

Premier Planning PLC

Jaguar Land Rover | 800

BMG Research

Mr Gary White | 3,000

Barbour prizes

Prestbury Medical Centre | 62

Simon Carter of London

Colmore Row -Birmingham | 125

Time Products (UK) Ltd

Colmore Row -Hall Green | 664

Garmin

Waitrose Community Matters- Four Oaks | 370

Loreal Luxe

Sainsburys Blackheath | 182

Hilton Metropole

Gracewell Healthcare | 46

Lyceum Theatre

Fellowship Singers of Shirley | 323

Arsenal F.C.
Blue Spice Apartments Cyprus

Contact our Midlands office on 0121 454 1799

31

Healthy
Heart Mark

healthy heart employer

DS Smith have healthy hearts packaged

DS Smith staff based at Hinckley, Livingston and Northfields (Louth) have healthy hearts well packaged,
after picking up their Silver Healthy Heart Mark, the second highest mark in our award scheme that
recognises the steps firms have taken to support their staff to lead a heart-healthy lifestyle.
The three sites were awarded the silver mark after
their staff had healthy heart checks with the Heart
Research UK team. These personalised checks
gave employees the opportunity to have their
blood pressure, cholesterol levels, BMI and waist
measurements taken and to answer questions
about their lifestyle habits. Each site then completed
a range of activities to improve their heart age.
Since receiving its Bronze award in October 2015,
DS Smith Hinkley held a Fruit Bonanza event, where
employees were encouraged to try fruits they
had not eaten before like papaya and kumquats,
made a display to inform and educate people on
the amount of sugar found in popular soft drinks
and provided employees with low-fat recipes to
encourage them to cook healthier meals at home.
After their Bronze award in August 2015, the
Northfield site introduced healthy lunch promotions and cycle challenges as well as hydration initiatives
and monthly physiotherapy sessions. Not to be out done, Livingston have led with sugar-free and lowfat promotions in the staff restaurant, signed up a 5-a-side football team to a company-wide 5-a-side
football tournament and organised a 50-mile cycle ride from Firhill, Glasgow to the factory in Livingston.
The route followed the Forth and Clyde Canal though Kirkintilloch to the Falkirk Wheel, then following the
Union Canal to Linlithgow and onto Uphall.
Simone Hemingway, HR Director for DS Smiths UK Packaging Division said: In the packaging and
manufacturing industries, safety is often prioritised above health but we know that a healthy and
happy workforce is integral to running a successful business. We are committed to supporting
initiatives such as this to encourage happier and healthier lifestyles for our employees. When we saw
how successful the initial pilot program was, we rolled it out to all of our sites across the UK.
Were immensely proud of the achievements of our colleagues.
We are delighted that our Healthy Mark has been such a success with DS Smith across the country.
As Barbara Dinsdale, Heart Research UK Lifestyle Manager, said: DS Smith UK Packaging, with all their
diverse activities, is continuing to drive employee heart health by making it easy for staff to keep
healthy both in work and beyond.

32

Healthy Hearts

Lifestyle
Keeping womens hearts healthy
Heart disease is not a mans disease, it affects daughters, mothers, aunts and grandmothers too.
While more men are diagnosed with coronary heart disease (CHD), a significant proportion of
women are also affected so its important to learn how to reduce your risk.
Some things, like family history and age, you cant change. Certain ethnic backgrounds, such as being of
South Asian origin living in the UK, also puts you at higher risk. Diabetes brings a higher risk of developing
heart disease too and it also worsens the effects of other risk factors such as high blood pressure,
raised cholesterol levels, obesity and smoking.

There are however some risk factors that you can change by adapting your lifestyle:
smoking physical inactivity high blood pressure high cholesterol levels
high waist measurement diabetes being overweight
Smoking is the biggest risk factor for CHD and more than doubles your risk of having a heart attack.
Stopping smoking is the biggest lifestyle change that you can make to improve your heart health.
Dont put off your plans to quit, start now and tell your friends, family and colleagues what youre doing
for their encouragement to help keep you focused.
Eating a heart-healthy diet can help to improve your cholesterol levels and reduce your blood pressure.
Boost your fibre intake and cholesterol levels by choosing wholegrain varieties of bread, pasta and cereals.
Opt for heart healthy mono-unsaturated fats, found in olive and rapeseed oils, avocados, nuts and seeds.
Keep your salt intake below 6 grams per day as eating too much salt can increase your blood pressure.
Get moving for at least 150 minutes per week as exercising regularly can help promote healthier
cholesterol levels and, when combined with a heart healthy diet, can help to keep your weight and
waist circumference in check. Make your activity more achievable by breaking it down into smaller
chunks. Start off with 10 minute bursts of activity a day and work up from there. Take up a new hobby,
or challenge yourself with one of our physical activity related events like swim the channel, London to
Paris cycle or step-a-thon. Its never too late to look after your heart and the sooner you start, the better
as simple lifestyle changes can keep risk factors at bay and help you look forward to a healthier, happier,
longer life.

Join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/heartresearchuk

33

Latest
HRUK
Healthy Heart Grants
Heres an update on one of our projects and
the progress they have made helping hearts
in their area.

Belfast, Northern Ireland Willowfield Parish Community Association

Life Guards, 10,000
Life Guards is a six-week programme that arms more than 1,000 primary children with the skills that
they need to look after their hearts. The inclusive programme also caters for children with special
educational needs and includes fitness challenges where children are taught to set activity targets as
well as interactive Making Healthy Choices workshops.

34

HRUK Healthy Hearts Grants

Latest
HRUK
Healthy Heart Grants
Newham, East London Aston-Mansfield
Little Manor Hearts, 7,661
Through a programme of fun, physical and learning activities 60 children aged between 5 and 11 will
learn how to keep their heart healthy and why its important. The fun packed programme includes
activities that focus on the benefits of healthy habits including being active, cooking healthy foods and
maintaining heart-healthy lifestyles.

South Shields South Tyneside Lifestyle Choices CIC

Healthy Heart Project, 8,920
A biology class with a difference is being given to 720 pupils in year 5 who will see heart dissections and
explore the anatomy and physiology of the heart. The special biology classes will teach them how the
heart works and the damage that we can do to our hearts by smoking and living an unhealthy lifestyle.

Blackpool Blackpool FC Community Trust

Family Fit 2 Go, 10,000
Children with disabilities in years 9 and 12, with their parents, can get heart healthy as they will be taught
how the heart works and how to look after it. Additional activities will also be on offer, to ensure that
heart healthy messages also reach parents, carers and siblings of disabled students.

Wigan Wigan Warriors Community Foundation

Drop the Beat, 9,000
The five-week Drop the Beat project will be run in schools in communities with higher levels of social
deprivation and/or high intake of pupils from black and minority ethnic groups. Through the power
of education, music and physical activity, pupils will learn about the heart and heart disease, the
importance of exercise, healthy eating and the risks associated with smoking.
Each educational session will be followed by an hour of our Drop the Beat Cardio-Rugby; a rugby
themed fitness sessions fuelled by the power of music. Through the sessions as pupils get fitter and
their heart health improves, they should see an improvement in their heart rate.

London Inspiring Audio CIC

Watching the Beats, 4,950
Up to 400,000 children aged 6 12 years will learn about the heart and how to keep it healthy.
Through the impact of animations the project will bring these lessons to life and attract a new
YouTube-centric child audience. Not only will hearing children benefit from this project, but those
with hearing problems will too be able to improve the health of their hearts through these videos.

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

35

Healthy Heart
Grant updates
Skelmersdale BDS Training
Captain Heart and the BDS Squad, 5,000

Captain Heart and the BDS Squad have been hard at work in ten schools in Skelmersdale improving the
heart health of 300 children. Dressed in their superhero outfits, children and their families tackled their
arch nemesis, heart disease, as they learned about their heart and how to keep it healthy by eating the
right foods and exercising. Arming them with this important information will help them to tackle heart
disease now and in the future.
Kimberly Rowlands, Project and Centre Manager at BDS Training, enthused about the project:

Our Captain Heart and the BDS Squad project has gone fantastically. Every child
has enjoyed the sessions and cant wait for the next week to carry on our fun learning.
Teachers have been just as pleased and have been getting involved and enjoying the
sessions as much as the children.
The children were just as enthusiastic:

I enjoyed tasting fruit, exercising, dressing up, feeling our pulses and making
sandwiches. We have learnt a lot from you, like to not eat so many sweets and
chocolate and skipping and hula hooping are fun ways to exercise.

36

HRUK Healthy Hearts Grants

Latest SUBWAY

Healthy Heart Grants

Its six years since we started running
HRUK/SUBWAY Healthy Heart Grants to
communities across the UK. These grants are
funded from money raised in local SUBWAY
stores from customer donations; fundraising
events organised by franchisees and annual
SUBWAY Helping Hearts Family 5Ks.
Dunfermline Dunfermline Reign Basketball Club
Healthy Hearts through Basketball, 9,272
Twenty primary schools in Dunfermline will take part in a six-week programme of basketball and heart
health education sessions. Pupils will learn about the importance of physical activity and healthy diet as
well as the harm caused to the heart by smoking; too much alcohol and drug abuse. Each programme
will culminate in a basketball festival, where pupils will play in a tournament, celebrate their successes
and share key heart healthy messages with their families and friends.

Bath Bath Rugby Foundation

Heart of a Lion, 10,000
Heart of a Lion is an exclusive opportunity for 600 primary school children to attend an all-day
workshop at the home of Bath Rugby Club to learn about healthy hearts. During the workshop
youngsters will get hands-on with technology such as motion glow bands as well as meeting team
mascot, Maximus, to have a unique learning experience that shows them the impacts of physical
activity, diet, smoking and alcohol on their hearts.

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough Environment City Trust Ltd

Hearty Appetites, 4,239
This project will promote pocket-friendly healthy lifestyles to 40 families. They will be invited to
increase their activity levels in their local area through guided walks, cycle rides, outdoor play and crafts.
In addition, each family will be given a slow cooker to keep and supported to develop the skills they need
to use it to prepare healthy nutritious food on a budget. By showing families ways to keep fit and healthy
on a budget, it will encourage families to adopt health habits for life.

HRUK & SUBWAY Healthy Heart Grants

37

Latest SUBWAY

Healthy Heart Grants

Tyne and Wear This is Creative Enterprise CIC (TICE)
Healthy Heart, 5,000
An arts-based project will help 360 children, in six primary schools in North Tyneside and to learn
about the importance of a healthy lifestyle to have a healthier, happier and longer life. Pupils will put
their imagination and artistic skills to good use to write and illustrate a healthy heart calendar.
While developing their calendars the children will learn about heart health. Children will then take home
their calendars to engage their families with the heart healthy message. At the end of the project a
healthy heart calendar will be produced. Each of the pages in this Calendar will feature a picture and
seasonal recipe created by pupils from each class and school involved in the project.

Wolverhampton Engage Youth Empowerment Service (EYES)

Heart Pace, 10,000
Heart Pace is a ten-week programme to run across schools and youth centres in Wolverhampton. 90
young people aged 11-16 will learn about the impact of healthy eating, exercise and activity, smoking and
drinking alcohol on their heart health. They will also create t-shirts with a healthy heart message which
they will wear to a celebratory mini-marathon event at the end of the programme.

Devon and Cornwall Plymouth Raiders Foundation

Healthy Heart Roadshow, 9,960
The professional basketball team at Plymouth Raiders Foundation will deliver Healthy Heart Roadshows
at nine secondary schools in the Devon and Cornwall area. Pupils will put their basketball skills to the
test as they learn about the benefits of protecting a healthy heart through exercise, healthy eating and
hydration and rejecting negative behaviours such as smoking and drinking.

Berkshire Reading FC Community Trust

Better Heart, Longer Life, 7,180
The football themed, Better Heart, Longer Life project will get 300 children up on their feet as they
learn about heart health. Years five and six children, at 10 primary schools, will take part in five sessions
to help them identify the risk factors associated with heart disease. The children will also find out how
exercising and eating healthily can help them to live a healthier, happier and longer life. The educational
sessions will be supported by fun futsal workshops and the opportunity to take part in a schools futsal
tournament.

38

HRUK &
Healthy
SUBWAY
Hearts
Healthy
Grants
Heart Grants

SUBWAY Healthy

Heart Grants update

Llanhilleth Miners Institute, Wales
Cooking for Healthy Hearts, 10,000

Families in the former mining town of Llanhilleth have been learning how to make heart-healthy
food. So far, 15 families have taken part in the year-long Cooking for Healthy Hearts project run by
Llanhilleth Miners Institute that has helped them to gain more knowledge and skills to prepare easy,
low cost, healthy meals.

Towards the end of their project, the organisers held a celebration day of their project with a community
picnic and a day of Fun in the Field. Over 150 people from the local community came along, taking part
in face painting, having fun on the bouncy castle, meeting a parliament of owls from the Festival Park Owl
Sanctuary and enjoying a healthy community picnic lunch.

It was extremely encouraging to see an enormous turn out from our community said
Tom Whyatt, Chair of the Trustees at Llanhilleth Miners Institute Whole families were brought
together to enjoy a day filled with fun and laughter as well as encouraging hearthealthy lifestyles. The Institute is grateful to both Heart Research UK and SUBWAY
stores for the grant funding and their support on the day.

HRUK & SUBWAY Healthy Heart Grants

39

Make a Will with Heart Research UK

Only one in three people in the UK make a Will, leaving loved ones with difficult decisions to make at
an emotional time. While no one likes to dwell on the worst happening, making a Will is the only way
to make sure your wishes are carried out when youre gone.
If you need a new or updated Will, give us a
call. Weve teamed up with solicitors
around the UK to provide a
special Will writing service.
For a donation to Heart
Research UK of 60 per Will
(or 85 for a pair of basic
mirror Wills), the solicitor
will provide the normal Will
service but wont charge
their normal fee. A standard
Will alone would usually cost
around 150.
Heart Research UK does not
receive Government funding.
Most of our medical research into the
prevention, treatment and cure of heart
disease is paid for with gifts or legacies in
someones Will. Your generosity could help
future generations to live healthier, happier
and longer lives.
To take advantage of this great offer to
protect your loved ones and help hearts near you, contact us on 0113 234 7474.

Thanks to our partners

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en

Registered Charity No. 1044821 Registered Office: Suite 12D, Josephs Well, Leeds LS3 1AB
Company limited by guarantee No. 3026813 Registered in England.

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ive

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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

If you would like to discuss a bespoke partnership for your business then please contact
corporate@heartresearch.org.uk or call 0113 297 6202

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