Partick Thistle Charitable Trust Posted on May 9, 2025May 23, 2025 by laure@heartresearch.org.uk Project title: Football Fit Region: Glasgow, Scotland Award amount: £14,600 Award Date: January 2024 – March 2025 This Healthy Heart Grant project has now finished. Read on for the project highlights. The Problem Glasgow areas Maryhill and Springburn have one of the highest levels of deprivation in the country, with life expectancy of these communities being drastically lower (men 15.4 years and women 11.6 years) than those living in the most affluent areas of Scotland. These populations have been found to have significantly higher levels of adult obesity and inactivity compared to the national and regional averages, making them the most at risk of having cardiovascular disease. The Project Football Fit Club provided support to those in the community who were overweight, inactive and aged between 31 and 59. The project ran three cohorts each over a 12-week period. Each cohort consisted of both educational workshops and physical activity sessions with a focus on heart health. Physical activity sessions focused not only on football, but also on more inclusive exercises such as circuit training, whilst the workshops focused on healthy eating, behaviour change, smoking cessation and mental health support. Project Highlights Football Fit Club improved the waist size, BMI and weight of beneficiaries who attended the project. Due to demand, Partick Thistle Charitable Trust are continuing to hold circuit-style exercise sessions for beneficiaries and the wider community to continue to benefit their heart health. This means that free and accessible exercise sessions will be available for those in financial hardship.
In conversation with British orienteers: Navigating fitness and heart health Posted on July 4, 2024May 28, 2025 by Sarah Gill Heart Research UK’s Heart of Scotland Appeal is proud to be the Official Charity Partner of the World Orienteering Championships (WOC 2024) in Edinburgh this July. This partnership combines the excitement of orienteering with the vital mission of promoting heart health. In this Q&A, we speak with British orienteers Kirstin Maxwell and Mairi Eades, who will compete in the elite races at the Sprint WOC 2024. Read on as Mairi and Kirstin share their passion for orienteering, the health benefits of the sport and practical tips for keeping your heart in top shape. Q.1: How did you first get into orienteering? Mairi: “I’ve been orienteering my whole life. My parents, who both started at a young age, met through the sport at university and brought me up orienteering. It’s a fun family affair.” Kirstin: “I’ve been orienteering since I was 10 years old. My dad, always a runner and involved in motorsport, found orienteering to be more family-friendly than car racing. As I participated in more orienteering events, I was invited to a development day for the Scottish team. I met many people and realised how great this outdoor sport is. I began to really enjoy orienteering because of the opportunities it provided. As my passion grew, it became a huge part of my life, and I’ve never looked back.” Q.2: How has orienteering influenced your overall health and fitness, particularly heart health? Mairi: “Orienteering provides me with continuous goals to work towards. It motivates me to train and stay healthy, so I can perform my best at competitions and maintain a happy and healthy lifestyle. It also encourages me to ensure I have a balanced diet to fuel my performance.” Kirstin: “Orienteering keeps you active and it’s said that one of the best ways to keep your heart healthy is to exercise. It’s a sport where you can either walk or run, and if you do run, you can go at your own pace. Orienteering is a great way to exercise and boost your health; it takes your mind off the exertion and into a beautiful place.” Q.3: In what ways do you maintain your heart health through your training and lifestyle choices? Mairi: “I like to keep active outside by walking, jogging, running, and cycling. This can be for commuting to work or recreation. Listening to the body is key and hence sleep is always a priority for me. No matter how healthy you’re eating or how much you’re training, you always need to rest and recover.” Kirstin: “I take care of myself because I want to be the best I can be, which has a knock-on effect on my overall health. Through my training, I’ve learned to pay close attention to things like my heart rate. If it’s elevated, it might indicate that something’s off, prompting me to adjust my activities accordingly. Being an athlete means being quite in touch with your body.” Q.4: Can you share any personal experiences or stories about heart health that have impacted you? Mairi: “My mum had a heart attack recently which shows that heart diseases can occur unexpectedly to anyone, even if you’ve lived a healthy lifestyle your whole life. So, do your best to prevent any health issues and maintain a good lifestyle, but don’t be discouraged if something happens. Unfortunately, even with a lifetime of healthy habits, things can still go wrong.” Q.5: This year, the World Orienteering Championships have partnered with Heart Research UK. How do you feel this partnership can generate awareness and promote heart health within the orienteering community? Mairi: “Exercise is essential for a healthy heart, and orienteering exercises both body and mind simultaneously. It offers a fun challenge and adventure. This partnership is a fantastic reminder for everyone, including elite athletes, about the importance of heart health.” Kirstin: “It’s great to be working with the charity. Orienteers may become more conscious about heart health, and charity supporters might see orienteering as a way to stay active. This partnership can encourage people to maintain their fitness and view orienteering as a viable exercise option.” Q.6: How do you balance the competitive nature of the sport with the enjoyment and adventure of orienteering? Mairi: “It can be difficult to balance these, especially during big races, but at the end of the day, I always come back to the realisation that this sport is so fun and unique. The sport allows us to travel to amazing places around the world, meeting new people and making friends across the world. I am always grateful to be a part of it and all the benefits that come with it.” Kirstin: “As I’ve matured, I’ve realised that when you’re young, a bad race can feel like the end of the world. I’ve spent a lot of time feeling upset, but experience has taught me that hard work is what truly matters. Reminding yourself of the good times, like getting selected or having an amazing run, helps on tough days. When you truly enjoy something and work hard, the buzz you get makes it all worth it. If you’re not enjoying your training every day, it’s time to change something about it.” Q.7: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in taking up orienteering? Mairi: “People are often nervous about trying orienteering, but I believe you just have to give it a go. If you find it difficult, don’t hesitate to ask as many questions as you need. Dive in and don’t fear getting lost. Even elite athletes still get lost, so it’s not a problem.” Kirstin: “There are local clubs all over the UK and you can find events on the British Orienteering website. If you’re near Edinburgh, come watch us at the World Championship races to see elite orienteers, many of whom represent their countries in athletics. Just get out there and try it, don’t worry if you don’t succeed right away. The important thing is to enjoy the fresh air and keep trying until it clicks.” Q.8: What message would you like to share about the importance of heart health? Mairi: “Remember that your heart is very important, so take the time to look after it. A few simple things, like getting outside, staying active and resting when you need to, can make a big difference. Listen to your body and keep it healthy.” Kirstin: “It’s important to take care of ourselves, especially our hearts, and enjoy life since we’re only here once. This means finding what works for you, especially with exercise. While exercise is beneficial, it doesn’t have to be intense. Enjoying activities with friends or family, like orienteering, can make a big difference. The key is to find what works for you and enhances your life.” Taking place from 12th to 16th July 2024, Edinburgh will host the Sprint World Orienteering Championships. Whether you’re an experienced athlete or new to the sport, join us for the WOC Tour, featuring six exciting races for all ages and skill levels. Explore the best of urban orienteering and be part of this incredible event in support of the Heart of Scotland Appeal.
Grant awarded to improve heart health in Scotland Posted on July 6, 2022May 28, 2025 by Sarah Gill By Ebba Ritzen A community group tackling disadvantages and improving lives in Cambuslang and Rutherglen has received a grant of over £9,000 from Heart Research UK. The grant has been awarded to a new heart health project which aims to help improve the physical and mental health of the local people. Lanarkshire charity Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust works with people of all ages across their whole population. However, the group’s main focus is on helping those in challenging circumstances. They support many residents who are lonely and isolated, stressed and experiencing a range of other physical and mental health challenges. These challenges are often exacerbated by poverty and can have a negative effect on the heart. Heart and circulatory diseases kill more than one in four in South Lanarkshire and in 2020, ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death for men in the region. The group has now received a Healthy Heart Grant from Heart Research UK for their new project. These grants are awarded across the UK to initiatives promoting heart health in their local community. Healthy n Happy’s exciting project, which will be starting in July, aims to provide local residents with a wide range of outdoor activities in green spaces across Cam Glen. It will support residents to improve their physical and mental health. The money for the grant was raised through Heart Research UK’s partnership with Subway®, by instore donations across the country. Since 2001, Heart Research UK has awarded over 300 of these grants, directly benefitting the hearts of over 70,000 individuals and countless wider community and family members across all regions of the UK. Brendan Rooney, Executive Director at Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust, said: ‘We’re so thrilled to have the support of Heart Research UK, which enables us to develop and deliver our new programme. ‘We will support participants to get involved in walking, cycling, food growing, cooking and healthy eating (with access to local food produce) and mental health support. We want people to have fun, choose activities and tools that best fit their personal situation, and work with them to build their confidence and skills”. Kate Bratt-Farrar, Chief Executive at Heart Research UK, said: ‘We know that there’s a high prevalence of heart disease in Scotland, something we are determined to combat. We’re pleased to be granting this funding to Happy n Healthy so that they can further provide accessible advice on how to keep and maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is what the Healthy Heart Grants are all about – helping people live happier, healthier and longer lives.’
International Women’s Day: The women whose research we’re funding Posted on July 3, 2022May 26, 2025 by Sarah Gill The 8th of March marks International Women’s Day and we’d like to take the opportunity to highlight some of the amazing women working in heart research, whose projects we’re funding Professor Gillian Gray, University of Edinburgh Gillian Gray is Professor of Cardiovascular Pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh. Her team discovered that a drug originally developed to treat obesity and diabetes also promotes repair of the heart after a heart attack and reduces the development of heart failure. The drug acts early after heart attack to prevent the spread of injury in the heart muscle and therefore has the potential to benefit many patients. The project we’re funding is investigating the benefits of the drug over existing drugs to treat heart failure and is looking further into the effects the drug has on the heart. Dr Amrit Daffu-O’Reilly, University of Leeds Dr Daffu-O’Reilly works at the University of Leeds as a Senior Researcher. Her research interest is in behaviour change to prevent and manage disease, reducing health inequalities and minority ethnic health. The research we’re funding is exploring perceptions of langar (a holy food offering) among the Sikh community. South Asian people living in the UK have up to a 50% higher risk of developing coronary heart disease compared to the general population, due to a variety of reasons. It has been suggested that a less than healthy diet and low physical activity levels are key contributors. In the place of worship in the Sikh community, the Gurdwara, a free meal is served, called langar, which tends to be high in calories. Dr Daffu-O’Reilly and her team is working together with two Sikh Gurdwaras, with the long-term plan of developing a toolkit to make healthy changes and lead by example, locally, regionally, nationally and hopefully internationally as well. Professor Georgina Ellison-Hughes, King’s College Professor of Regenerative Muscle Physiology Georgina Ellison-Hughes is aiming to eliminate so-called ‘zombie’ cells, which could alleviate age-related cardiac deterioration. Ageing is the greatest risk factor for many life-threatening disorders and the build-up of ‘zombie’ cells promotes ageing and age-related conditions including cardiovascular disease. These cells refuse to die and release chemicals that can be harmful to nearby cells, eventually turning these into ‘zombie’ cells as well. Prof Ellison-Hughes is investigating whether a new group of drugs can eliminate and/or stop the harmful chemicals they produce. This can improve the survival and growth of heart muscle cells and their ability to repair the heart. Prof Ellison-Hughes has also delivered a TEDx talk on rejuvenating a broken heart. The talk describes her research which led to the discovery that the adult heart is a self-renewing organ and can grow new heart cells. Dr Anna Gavin, Queen’s University Belfast As the Founding Director of the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, Dr Anna Gavin’s project aims to establish a heart disease database for N. Ireland and link this with the cancer and stroke databases. The goal is to improve patient care and the outcomes for people in N. Ireland. Approximately 225,000 people are living with cardiovascular disease in N. Ireland, and it remains a major cause of death and disability. The linked databases should help scientists and doctors examine in more detail the trends in disease levels and the effects of prevention and treatments.
Official charity partners of the 2022 WSF Doubles Squash Championship Posted on April 21, 2022May 28, 2025 by Sarah Gill By Ebba Ritzen The 2022 WSF Doubles Squash Championship in Glasgow is now over, and we are delighted to have been the official charity partner through our Heart of Scotland Appeal. Every day, 47 people in Scotland die from cardiovascular disease, and we’re working hard to raise awareness and help more hearts in Scotland. Our Heart of Scotland Appeal had a strong presence across the Glasgow venue, including a text to donate code on the screens for people who wanted to support the appeal. The week was very eventful and saw many exciting matches and brilliant winners, including England’s Declan James and James Willstrop who won the men’s draw gold medal 2-0 against Scotland’s Greg Lobban and Rory Stewart. England hadn’t won a championship gold since 1997 in Hong Kong so it was a long time coming. Scotland also did well, winning both silver and bronze medals in the men’s draw. James Willstrop was pleased with the win: ‘We’re chuffed to bits. It’s a huge event, it’s a world title. We’re so grateful to Scottish Squash, to the WSF and for everyone who’s joined together to put this together and make it a huge event.’ Greg Lobban was also positive about the week: ‘The tournament was fantastic. This is the first time Rory and I have played together in a major competition, so to come second in the men’s draw is a great achievement. We knew coming in we were one of the best teams and had a really good chance, so I’m pleased we came away with something.’