British Heart Foundation

Three years of partnership. Countless lives impacted. We’re taking a moment to celebrate some of the brilliant impact we’ve achieved during our partnership with Royal Mail. Thanks to fundraising from dedicated Royal Mail colleagues, we’re continuing to protect heart health and save lives in communities across the UK. Read more about our partnership: https://lnkd.in/eyRU_Qdt

A new research institute will transform our understanding of obesity, its links to serious illness, and help develop better approaches to prevention and treatment. The Medical Research Council (MRC), in partnership with British Heart Foundation, is investing £72 million in the new UK Obesity Research Institute (UK-ORI), dedicated to tackling one of the UK's most significant health challenges. Obesity is a complex condition that is too often misunderstood, yet it is one of the biggest drivers of heart disease and stroke. That's why the BHF's investment will focus on improving our understanding of the impact obesity has on cardiovascular disease. UK-ORI will bring together experts in biomedical science, medicine and technology to investigate the causes, prevention, treatment and health consequences of obesity, helping accelerate the development of more effective ways to prevent and treat it. By bringing together academia, industry and healthcare, the institute aims to turn scientific discoveries into real-world benefits for patients more quickly, helping more people live in good health for longer. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eZbGMgTe UK Research and Innovation

“To think that the defibrillator I applied for saved someone's life does make me feel very proud." Yesterday, we shared Adrian's story of surviving a cardiac arrest. Today, we're sharing the story of Jill, the woman who helped make sure a lifesaving defibrillator was there when he needed it most. Just weeks before Adrian's cardiac arrest, Jill successfully applied for a defibrillator through the BHF's Community Defibrillator Programme for her local church in Plymouth. As the defibrillator's guardian, Jill received a text on Christmas Day to say the device had been accessed. It was taken across the road to the pub where bystanders were already performing CPR and delivered two shocks helping Adrian survive. "I think it's amazing the defibrillator we campaigned for helped to save Adrian's life. We live on a steep hill so by the time someone had run to the next nearest defibrillator, it wouldn't have been anything like as quick. I'm one of those people who just likes to get things done, so to think that the defibrillator I applied for saved someone's life does make me feel very proud." Jill's story shows the difference one community defibrillator can make. You can apply for a free defibrillator for your community group today through our Community Defibrillator Funding Programme. See if your community is eligible here: https://lnkd.in/ef8J5NFZ

On Christmas Day last year, Adrian was celebrating with family at his local pub when he suddenly collapsed and went into cardiac arrest. His heart stopped beating. Thankfully, an ambulance was called, and three people nearby knew exactly what to do. A mother and daughter, who are both nurses, and a member of the Royal Navy took turns performing CPR while a community defibrillator was brought from a church across the road. The BHF-funded defibrillator, which had only been installed a few weeks earlier, was used twice to shock Adrian's heart, while CPR continued. Thanks to their quick actions, Adrian survived. After receiving further treatment in hospital, including stents and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), Adrian made a good recovery. Adrian's story shows why having a defibrillator nearby is so important. When someone has a cardiac arrest, every minute counts, and access to a defibrillator can give them the best possible chance of survival. If your community doesn't have a defibrillator that is accessible 24/7, you can apply for a free device through our Community Defibrillator Funding Programme today. See if your community group is eligible: https://lnkd.in/ef8J5NFZ

"I know how to perform CPR."   Every person who learns CPR is one more person ready to step in and help save a life.   Thanks to the support of partners like Toolstation and Sky Betting & Gaming, hundreds of thousands of people have learned lifesaving skills through RevivR, our free online CPR training tool.   Could you be next? RevivR takes just 15 minutes to complete. https://lnkd.in/gGNX6Dcq

The news Dáithí and his family have been hoping for. ❤️ Dáithí has received a heart transplant. For years, Dáithí and his family campaigned to raise awareness of organ donation while he waited for a life-saving donor heart. Their tireless efforts brought hope to so many people and helped inspire conversations right across Northern Ireland. We have been a longstanding supporter of their campaign, which directly led to the introduction of Dáithí's Law, establishing a soft opt-out organ donation system in Northern Ireland. We're so grateful to the donor's family for making that selfless decision, and we wish Dáithí all the very best as he begins his recovery journey. As Dáithí begins his recovery journey, we encourage everyone to learn more about what the law change means, consider their organ donation decision, record that decision, and share it with family and friends. 🙏

England might be out of the World Cup final, but we still have an important message to share. While we all pause for hydration breaks, we've been using those same three minutes to highlight a devastating reality. Every three minutes in the UK, someone loses their life to cardiovascular disease. A parent. A partner. A friend. A teammate. A football fan. Cardiovascular disease remains one of the UK's biggest killers, but it doesn't have to be. By funding lifesaving research, we're helping drive earlier diagnosis, better treatments and more lives saved. A huge thank you to Tom Lockyer, Charlie Wyke and Jack Sparkes for helping us bring this message to football fans across the country and raise awareness of the devastating impact of cardiovascular disease. https://lnkd.in/evEZuuDh

When a child dies suddenly, no family should have to wait months for answers. Raphaël Pryor was 17 when he died suddenly after collapsing while playing sport at school. His parents, Michael Pryor and Sabine Vandenbroucke, then faced a 10-month wait for a full post-mortem report, leaving them without answers during an already devastating time. We are supporting Michael and Sabine's call, alongside a range of other medical and health organisations, for a boost in the paediatric pathology workforce, so that bereaved families aren't left in limbo by delays. Our Chief Scientific and Medical Officer Professor Bryan Williams OBE MD FMedSci said: "Long delays in paediatric pathology services are not only highly distressing for families, but they can also leave other family members who may share the same genetic risk factors at risk of sudden cardiac death. It is critical that we see investment in both the academic and clinical pathways now, so that bereaved parents in the future experience well-resourced services underpinned by the latest research." Our thoughts are with Raphaël's family and all those affected by sudden cardiac death.

We’re thrilled to welcome Dame Clare Barclay DBE as Chair of our new Corporate Partnerships Board. Dame Clare joins us with nearly 30 years’ experience at Microsoft and an outstanding track record as one of the UK’s most respected technology leaders. Just as importantly, she shares our belief that ambitious partnerships can change the future for millions of people affected by heart and circulatory diseases. Our new Corporate Partnerships Board will bring together senior business leaders to open doors, shape bold opportunities and build major, multi-year partnerships that power our lifesaving research. With more than 8 million people in the UK living with cardiovascular disease, our ambition has never mattered more: by 2035, we aim to prevent 125,000 heart attacks and strokes and reduce premature cardiovascular deaths by 25%. To get there, we need to think bigger and work with partners who share our urgency, optimism and determination to save and improve more lives. Together with Dame Clare and our Corporate Partnerships Board we will unlock new opportunities, drive meaningful change and fund more lifesaving research.