Project title: Stronger Hearts, Connected Communities
Region: Bridgend, Wales
Award amount: £15,000
Award date: June 2026
Community engagement in Bridgend has identified alarmingly low levels of physical activity and rising rates of inactivity-related diseases. Insufficient physical activity is one of the top four leading risk factor for global mortality. Local sedentary lifestyles have created a high-risk environment for cardiovascular issues, compounded by the current cost of living crisis which has made private health and fitness options inaccessible for many residents. Many people also face barriers such as financial hardship, low confidence and social isolation, all which are significant secondary risk factors for heart disease.
Raw Performance CIC will utilise “green exercise” to reduce stress and anxiety, addressing the holistic needs of the Bridgend community. This 12-month intervention is essential to move beyond short-term solutions and establish sustainable, long-term habits necessary to reduce the local burden of heart disease.
The Stronger Hearts, Connected Communities project is a 12-month intervention that provides a long-term pathway to cardiovascular wellness for adults in Bridgend. This high-contact, multi-channel health intervention focuses on physical activity, nutrition and healthy habits, smoking and alcohol awareness and social connectivity.
The project will deliver weekly circuit-based bootcamp exercise sessions, monthly heart healthy challenges supported by nutritional resources and education, regular health huddle and peer support focused on smoking cessation and alcohol unit reduction, and frequent judgement free support groups to build mental resilience and reduce stress-related risk factors for heart disease.
Their “green exercise” model uses local outdoor spaces to combat sedentary lifestyles and the social isolation that contributes to poor heart health. Raw Performance predict that the project will directly benefit approximately 100 members of the Bridgend community, with each participant receiving around 55 hours of heart health focused support over the course of the programme.
The projects delivery team is built up of fitness instructors, nutritionists and peer mentors who will support participants throughout their heart health journey. The team will conduct quarterly check-ins and one-to-one sessions to monitor improvements in fitness levels, lifestyle behaviours and health measurements. Measurements taken throughout the project’s lifecycle will include blood pressure, weight, waist circumference, and scores from the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale.