Project title: Health Promoting Hearts
Region: Derry, Northern Ireland
Award amount: £14,977
Award date: January 2026 – March 2026
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in Northern Ireland. The Moor Ward is one of the most deprived areas of Derry City, and the Foyle constituency records one of the highest circulatory illness death rates regionally. 20% of people living in the Moor Ward report living with serious health-limiting conditions, and alcohol-related hospital admissions are among the highest in Northern Ireland. Derry & Strabane also has the highest poverty rate of any council area, driving unhealthy diet, low activity, and poor lifestyle habits.
By focusing on adults at risk of heart disease, this programme directly addressed these inequalities, supporting healthier lives.
Health Promoting Hearts was a 14-week holistic community initiative designed to improve heart health and overall wellbeing in adults. The project was made up of four key elements: physical activity, cooking sessions, food for thought, CBT-based workshops and goal setting and motivation. Health checks were conducted at the start and end of the project. This initiative concluded with a celebration where participants were signposted to other programmes in the community to continue on their wellness journey.
The project was be ran by highly qualified and experienced staff including nutritionists, physical activity facilitators, cognitive behavioural therapists and health check facilitators. By combining physical activity, cooking skills, psychological support, and goal setting strategies, the Health Promoting Hearts Programme took a whole person approach to tackling cardiovascular risk factors. The programme reduced health inequalities, and empowered adults to take control of their heart health.
Blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and mental health scores were measured during this project to monitor the participants health. Post-project results found that 100% of participants experienced weight loss and 92% saw positive changes in their blood pressure results. Most participants also saw improvements in their non-HDL cholesterol and mental health scores. Health Promoting Hearts referred 36% of people to their GP for further intervention regarding heart health and all participants received support for long-term behaviour change.
This project contributed towards improved mental wellbeing and quality of life as well as the reduction in heart disease risk factors.