Heart of Scotland Appeal

Heart Research UK’s Heart of Scotland Appeal announced as Official Charity Partner of the Sprint World Orienteering Championships 2024

The Sprint World Orienteering Championships 2024 (WOC 2024), which will take place in Edinburgh from 12-16 July 2024, is delighted to announce Heart Research UK’s Heart of Scotland Appeal as the Official Charity Partner of the event.

The Heart of Scotland Appeal works towards research and community projects in Scotland aimed at reducing the number of people affected by heart diseases. Currently 48 people a day die from cardiovascular disease in Scotland.

The partnership with WOC 2024 aims to raise awareness of the risks of heart diseases amongst the orienteering community, promoting heart health through exercise. The partnership will also help raise funds and awareness for the Heart of Scotland appeal, with all money raised distributed to research projects across Scotland.

The partnership will also be looking to explore opportunities for people to fundraise and take part in the WOC Tour – the amateur races running during WOC 2024. Additionally, various social media collaborations and storytelling activities will help raise awareness of the great work the charity do, in the build up to and during the World Championships in July.

WOC2024 come and try Orienteering session involving GB athletes Mairi Eades and Kirsten Maxwell at festival square Edinburgh ahead of World Orienteering championships.

“Heart Research UK’s Heart of Scotland Appeal are delighted to be the official charity partner of the World Orienteering Championships 2024 in Edinburgh. Heart diseases are unfortunately prevalent in Scotland; however, we know that orienteering is a great form of cardiovascular exercise that works out both your heart and your mind,” said Mary Campbell, Director of Income Generation at Heart Research UK.

“Getting outside and trying orienteering, whether in the Scottish countryside or your local town or city, can really benefit both your aerobic and anaerobic fitness, both of which are key to increasing your heart’s strength, reducing your blood pressure, and resting heart rate.

“We are dedicated to doing all we can to raise awareness of the impact of heart diseases on families up and down the country. The money raised through this partnership will be spent right here in Scotland on lifesaving medical research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart diseases.”

WOC 2024 Event Director Andy Mitchelmore said of the partnership: “Orienteering is a great form of exercise for all ages and the perfect sport for helping heart health.

“This is why we felt that a partnership with Heart Research UK’s Heart of Scotland Appeal was such a great fit with WOC 2024 and why we are delighted to have them on board as our Official Charity Partner.

“We hope we can work together to raise awareness about the work they do in Scotland and help raise funds to support their projects across Scotland. We know the orienteering community will get behind the charity and in July Edinburgh will welcome the orienteering community from around the world, whilst at the same time raising funds for this fantastic cause.”

WOC 2024 is organised by Scottish 6 Days Orienteering in conjunction with Scottish Orienteering, British Orienteering and the International Orienteering Federation, with primary event partners EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, and The City of Edinburgh Council.

To find out more about WOC 2024 and the WOC Tour visit www.woc2024.org and for Heart Research UK’s Heart of Scotland Appeal visit www.heartresearch.org.uk/heartofscotland/

Heart of Scotland Appeal teams up with Scottish Squash on World Squash Day to get Scots moving

The Heart of Scotland Appeal, a fundraising campaign by national charity Heart Research UK, have partnered with Scottish Squash to encourage more people to play the sport on the 9^th October – TODAY, World Squash Day.

The Heart of Scotland appeal was launched in 2019 to raise awareness of the problem of heart health in Scotland, and to generate vital funds for pioneering research at Universities’ and hospitals across the country. Recently, Heart Research UK funded almost £300,000 worth of research at universities in Glasgow and Dundee to investigate links between COVID-19 and heart disease.

Coronary heart disease is Scotland’s single biggest killer, with lifestyle factors such as obesity and lack of exercise directly impacting upon a person’s risk.

In an effort to combat the statistic that more than a third of adults in Scotland do not achieve recommended levels of physical activity, the Heart of Scotland appeal has teamed up with Scottish Squash to inspire people across Scotland to get more active, and ‘Squash the Stigma’ that squash can be a difficult and inaccessible sport to get into.

They are calling for players across Scotland to get on court this World Squash Day to #SquashTheStigma by post a #SweatySelfie and donating to the Heart of Scotland appeal.

The best selfie from the day will win brand new squash equipment for their club.

In a survey by Forbes magazine, squash was ranked as the healthiest sport in the world. Forbes consulted with personal trainers, coaches and exercise physiologists, and ranked sports as being the ‘healthiest’ in terms of cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, calories burned in 30 minutes and injury risk.

Dr Sue Robertson, who is the current Scottish Women’s over-55 champion, played squash as a child before focusing on a medical career. After 17 years without playing, she picked up the game again.

She said: “I was truly terrible when I started again, and for a couple of years just played occasionally.

“I was introduced to Masters Squash (for over 35’s) and made so many new friends I wouldn’t have otherwise met. I was the fittest and happiest I’d been for 20 years, because it’s so good for your mental health, as well as your physical health.

“It fits into that busy life really well, way less time than a good gym session, but it’s so much more fun. Sport is just so key to a happy life.

“I work in an admissions unit in the hospital as a physician, so I see people every day with heart problems for lots of different reasons.

“I know about the benefits of sport and the benefits of physical activity, and if we have a society that encourages and educates people on that, then we will have a healthier society.”

Amanda Donaldson, Senior Fundraiser for the Heart of Scotland appeal, said: “We all know that physical activity is beneficial for our wellbeing, both physically and mentally. Here at the Heart of Scotland Appeal, we want to encourage as many Scots as possible to get more active, and what better time than World Squash Day!

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Scottish Squash to promote the sport as a great way to get fit, meet new friends and improve your heart health, and to raise awareness of the Heart of Scotland Appeal and the life-saving research that we fund.

“We can’t wait to see everyone’s #SweatySelfies as they take part in games across the country and help to raise vital funds for the Heart of Scotland appeal.”

Allan McKay, Director of Development at Scottish Squash, said: “We’re really pleased with our partnership with the Heart of Scotland Appeal as we share common values across both organisations to promote physical activity and healthy living. Through this partnership we can also raise awareness of the great work that the Heart of Scotland Appeal carry out every day.

“By linking the partnership to the 2021 World Squash Day on Saturday 9^th October we hope more people will get on court and experience the excellent physical and mental health benefits that squash can offer to people across Scotland while support hear research.

“Make sure to share all your #SweatySelfies across social media on World Squash Day!”

For more on the campaign, including videos from supporters, please visit: – https://heartresearch.org.uk/squash-the-stigma/

To learn more about the Heart of Scotland appeal and find out about how you can help, please visit https://heartresearch.org.uk/heartofscotland/.

You can save 10% on your specially designed Christopher Kane Heart of Scotland t-shirt and badges using the code Squash at:

https://gift.heartresearch.org.uk/onlineshop/

Heart of Scotland Appeal teams up with Scottish Squash to get the nation moving

The Heart of Scotland Appeal, a fundraising campaign by national charity Heart Research UK, have teamed up with Scottish Squash to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease and encourage more people to increase their activity levels.

Coronary heart disease is Scotland’s single biggest killer, with lifestyle factors such as obesity and lack of exercise directly impacting upon a person’s risk.

Lisa Aitken, Scotland’s number one female squash player, said: “Squash is just a really healthy way to have fun. It obviously has the cardiovascular benefits, getting fit and strengthening the heart, but there’s so many people that try squash and say, ‘Oh, I was just having so much fun. I didn’t realise I burnt 700 calories!’

“Squash is for people of all ages, but I would also love to see even more young people get involved with the sport.

“Squash is one of the sports that can develop youngsters in so many ways. You’ve obviously got physical elements, like speed and strength and then hand-eye coordination, balance.

“Then you’ve got the mental aspects of it, having to problem solve and use your brain to work out the tactics. Squash encompasses so much for a young person.”

She said: “I was truly terrible when I started again, and for a couple of years just played occasionally.

“It fits into that busy life really well, way less time than a good gym session, but it’s so much more fun. Sport is just so key to a happy life.

“I work in an admissions unit in the hospital as a physician, so I see people every day with heart problems for lots of different reasons.

“I know about the benefits of sport and the benefits of physical activity, and if we have a society that encourages and educates people on that, then we will have a healthier society.”

Allan McKay, Director of Development at Scottish Squash, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Heart Research UK and work together to raise awareness of The Heart of Scotland Appeal as we highlight the positive impact that sport and physical activity can have on individuals’ risk to coronary heart disease.

“Squash can play a strong role in offering health, fitness and physical activity benefits to everyone in a really fun and social environment. By working closely with The Heart of Scotland Appeal we want to raise awareness to communities across Scotland of the opportunities to participate in squash and help to improve health and physical activity levels which can hopefully go a little way to tackling coronary heart disease in Scotland.”

To learn more about the Heart of Scotland appeal and find out about how you can help, please visit https://heartresearch.org.uk/heartofscotland/.

You can save 10% on your specially designed Christopher Kane Heart of Scotland t-shirt and badges using the code Squash at:

https://gift.heartresearch.org.uk/onlineshop/

For more on Scottish Squash, please visit https://www.scottishsquash.org/.

Get the picnic blankets out for the Heart of Scotland Appeal and help save lives across the country

The Heart of Scotland Appeal is sending an invitation to everyone to take part in the first ever Big Scottish Picnic, a nationwide fundraiser to raise money for life-saving research across Scotland.

From the 7^th-13^th June, the Heart of Scotland Appeal is encouraging people to hold their own Big Scottish Picnics, enjoy some delicious treats and share stories about those they love, with those they love, all while raising vital funds to help take on heart disease.

The Heart of Scotland Appeal was launched in 2019 by Heart Research UK, in response to shocking stats regarding cardiovascular disease in Scotland.

Currently, 47 people a day die from cardiovascular disease, and the death rate is more than 50% higher than in the South East of England. The appeal was launched to raise money in Scotland, for Scotland, to support pioneering research at universities and hospitals across the country.

Recent grants have included £250,000 to the University of Glasgow to study the effects of COVID-19 on blood vessels.

The appeal was backed by First Minister Sturgeon, as well as a host of Scottish stars, including David Moyes, Amy McDonald, Jane McCarry and Heart Research UK patrons Mark Bonnar and Christopher Kane, the latter of which designed limited edition merchandise for the appeal.

Whether you’d like to host your Big Scottish Picnic in person or virtually, there are loads of resources available for you to download, including posters, invites and zoom backgrounds. There is also plenty of activities, recipes and fundraising ideas, to make sure that your picnic goes down a storm!

As an added treat, all picnics that raise over £47 will be entered into a draw to have a live Zoom visit from Heart Research UK patron Mark Bonnar, star of Line of Duty, Guilt and Catastrophe.

Amanda Donaldson, Senior Fundraiser for the Heart of Scotland appeal, said: “After what has been a difficult year for us all, I know we are all looking forward to coming together with friends and family and enjoying some of the famous Scottish weather.

“The Big Scottish Picnic is perfect for catching up with those we’ve missed, sharing some delicious food and making new memories, all whilst supporting an amazing cause.

“We know research works, but the 700,000 people living with heart disease need it to pick up the pace. Hosting a Big Scottish Picnic will help fund pioneering medical research here in Scotland, drive breakthroughs in treatment and help keep those we love around for longer.”

For more information, and to register to host your own Big Scottish Picnic, please visit https://heartresearch.org.uk/bsp/

Former footballer taking on mammoth challenge in memory of beloved local community leader

A Kilwinning man is taking on a marathon task – running a 10k, every day for 47 days in memory of his mother, a well-known community figure, who passed away suddenly after a heart attack.

Craig Potter, 37, has set himself the challenge to raise money for Heart Research UK’s Heart of Scotland appeal, and to raise awareness of the dangers of undiagnosed heart conditions.

Craig’s mum, Theresa, passed away suddenly after suffering a heart attack at home in July.

“She never displayed what we perceived were normal symptoms of a heart attack,” said Craig.

“She never mentioned about a tight chest or about pains in her arm. She had woken up the night before and said she felt anxious, which was unlike her. The next day, she had been mildly nauseous and had a dry mouth, but was still working from home and was planning to meet up with a friend.

“My dad went downstairs to make himself a quick lunch. When he came back upstairs, 3 minutes later she was dead, it was that sudden.

“It was devastating, we are a small, close family. A huge part of our life was gone.”

With the family grieving, Craig began looking for a charity and a challenge to take on in her memory.

“Two things my mum was really proud of – she was a proud woman, and a proud Scot. When we came across the Heart of Scotland appeal, some of the stats shocked us. The fact that you are more than 50% more likely to die from heart disease in Scotland than in South East England is just unpalatable,” said Craig.

“Since my mum died, people have come to us with their own tragic stories, other mums, wives, sisters, and daughters suddenly dying from heart conditions, and yet somehow it is still not perceived as a women’s health issue. We want to change that.

Another stat the family found form the Heart of Scotland appeal was that currently, 47 people a day die in Scotland from cardiovascular disease.

“We were in the grieving process, and we knew we wanted to do something. Something that would raise money, but crucially, raise awareness. Should we have known these signs? Should people be aware? We weren’t, and certainly other people aren’t.

“This is where the idea came from, to run every day for 47 days, with different groups of people to really spread the word. 47 days means we’re talking about it for longer, more people will hear the message and will hear the stats.”

Craig’s challenge begins on the 24^thMarch 2021, with the final day of his run falling on his mum’s birthday, the 9^th of May.

He will be joined each day by different friends, family members and well-wishers across the UK, all keen to pay their respects and help spread the message around heart health in women and Scotland.

A number of Heart Research UK staff will also be joining Craig throughout his challenge

Following Theresa’s passing, the family was overwhelmed with the amount of messages they received from people that had been impacted by Theresa, who had dedicated her life to supporting and developing those in the community.

Theresa had spent many years working in communities, focusing on education, health, campaigns against poverty and, most recently, response to the COVID pandemic.

“The impact was overwhelming, we had hundreds of messages from all over the world,” said Dougie Potter, Theresa’s husband.

“More people than we could ever know that Theresa had developed in a positive way. I knew she had an impact on people’s life, but the scope and range of people that sent us messages was breath-taking.

“High level politicians, saying that Theresa had influenced their lives, to young people, community groups, activists and colleagues saying that Theresa was just so impactful in their lives forever. That range took our breath away.”

As well as raising money for research across Scotland, both Craig and Dougie are passionate about raising awareness of heart conditions and their symptoms, especially in women.

“The research we have read seems to show that if women have problems, we often think of other things that could be causing their symptoms. With men, we tend to get to the idea of heart problems quicker and therefore get treatment or medical intervention quicker.” said Craig.

“The reality is, this is killing 2600 women a year in Scotland. That shocked us a family.

“That’s what this is all about, getting people talking, reinforcing these messages. Mum was the last person you’d expect this to happen to. She was upbeat, strong, energetic and lived a healthy life.

Dougie finished by saying “Us talking openly about Theresa has already saved lives, with women asking for treatment where in the past they may have not.

“But we’re not talking about this enough, and it’s affecting so many people. My hope is that by sharing Theresa’s story it creates more conversations, more awareness and we can begin to save lives.”

Craig’s challenge kicks off on the 24^th March 2021. and you can support his challenge here – https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/craig-potter12

You can learn more about the Heart of Scotland appeal here: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heartofscotland/

Heart of Scotland appeal teams up with Scottish Women in Sport to get the nation moving

The Heart of Scotland appeal, launched by national charity Heart Research UK, has partnered with Scottish Women in Sport (SWIS) in a bid to increase the activity levels of women across Scotland.

Every year, coronary heart disease, including heart attacks, kills around 2,600 women in Scotland – seven women every day.

The Heart of Scotland appeal was launched in 2019 to raise awareness of the problem of heart health in Scotland, as well as generating vital funds for pioneering research at Universities’ and hospitals across the country.

Coronary heart disease is Scotland’s single biggest killer, with lifestyle factors such as obesity and lack of exercise directly impacting upon a person’s risk.

Today, the Heart of Scotland Appeal and SWIS will be celebrating International Women’s Day by featuring inspirational video interviews with some of Scotland’s leading female athletes, including Hannah Rankin, Katie Archibald MBE, Jasmin Paris, Rebecca Sellar, Samantha Kinghorn and Rachel Corsie.

They will share their experiences of reaching the pinnacle of their respective sports and their advice for any young person wishing to follow in their footsteps.

Heart Research UK have collaborated on this latest campaign, which has been backed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, to highlight the relationship between an active lifestyle and a healthy heart whilst encouraging more women in Scotland to get active.

This is the second collaboration between Heart Research UK and Scottish Women in Sport who together produced a series of video interviews with four of the leading Scottish female researchers, academics and practitioners who have devoted their time and expertise to taking on heart disease for International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

Maureen McGonigle, Founder of Scottish Women in Sport, said: “It is a privilege to work with Heart Research UK, as they are such an established and passionate organisation.

“Together along with some of Scotland’s top sportswomen, we hope to raise awareness of the impact of heart disease on women, and hopefully encourage more women to get active and take on heart disease.”

Dr Helen Flaherty, head of Health Promotion and Education at Heart Research UK, said: “We all know how important it is to be active – it’s one of the best things we can do to improve our heart health.

“However, many people find it difficult to get motivated, or struggle to fit the recommended 150 minutes of exercise into a week.

“Women often find it difficult to engage with physical activity due to a lack of confidence and time. Through this partnership with SWIS, we hope to be able to encourage women all across Scotland to increase their activity levels, and also to encourage the next generation of Scottish sportswomen, as well as helping to reduce the gender gap in physical activity and sport.”

The Heart of Scotland appeal is seeking volunteers to help raise funds for pioneering research in to the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease, Scotland’s biggest killer.

41 people a day die from cardiovascular disease in Scotland, and the Heart of Scotland Appeal are searching for individuals and groups to become Pace Makers and carry their message to all corners of the country.

The Heart of Scotland Appeal, launched by national charity Heart Research UK, features a striking t-shirt and four coloured badges designed by acclaimed Scottish fashion designer Christopher Kane, each with their own unique message: Live, Life, Brave, Care.

The appeal has been backed by a host of Scottish stars, including David Moyes, KT Tunstall, Rory Bremner, Amy Macdonald, Val McDermid, Jane McCarry and Iain Glen.

Big names from Scottish politics have also got involved, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the Secretary of State for Scotland, the Rt Hon David Mundell pledging their support.

The Heart of Scotland Appeal are looking for people based all across the country to become Pace Makers to help sell these badges and raise money to be spent in Scottish hospitals and universities.

Sheena Forsyth, from Dumfries, became the very first Heart of Scotland Pace Maker. “I myself had open heart surgery due to issues with my heart valves,” she said.

“My sister has atrial fibrilation (irregular heart beat) and high blood pressure, my mother passed away from a stroke and my father had a massive heart attack.

“Scotland is known to have a bad record, especially where I am in the central belt, there’s a lot of heart disease.

“I got involved with the Heart of Scotland appeal because people need to get talking about heart-related illnesses. Stress, eating properly and not knowing about risks, there’s a lot of things that we need to get talking about.”

Sheena has committed to supporting the Heart of Scotland appeal by taking a box of badges and sharing them with her friends, family and colleagues and asking for donations.

Samantha Wells, Heart of Scotland lead said: “This appeal is all about improving the lives of people living in Scotland. We want this appeal to reach every corner of Scotland, Highlands and Islands, lowlands, coast and country, and we need your help to do so.

“We want everyone in Scotland wearing a badge and helping to keep those we love around for longer. The fact is, you are almost twice as likely to die from coronary heart disease in Scotland than you are in the South-east of England. This needs to change and we need Scotland’s help.”

If you would like to know more about the Heart of Scotland appeal, or become a Pace Maker, please email heartofscotland@heartresearch.org.uk, or call 0113 234 7474.

Get involved at heartofscotland.org.uk