Our Healthy Heart grants are as popular as ever and we’ve received some great applications for some exciting projects.  In the last round we awarded seven grants across the UK, totalling over £50,000.

Jets Foundation, Cheshire - ‘Hoops for a Healthy Heart’

£9,147

Primary school children in Blacon and Ellesmere Port will jump and bounce their way to a Healthy Heart by taking part in this programme run by local basketball team the Cheshire Jets.  Coupled with classroom-based Healthy Heart activities, the children aged nine to 11 will get the opportunity to play basketball and take part in competitions. During the initial school visit, children will learn about heart health and how lifestyle factors like smoking and keeping fit can affect it.  They will also receive eight hours of basketball coaching from the Jets that will culminate in local and regional tournaments.

Exe-Calibre Dragon Boat Club, Exeter - ‘I Love Dragon Boat Racing’

£6,934

Young people in the Exeter area, aged 12 to 18 years old, will get the chance to try a new, fun activity by taking part in dragon boat racing.  Participants in this exciting project will paddle a 38-foot Chinese dragon boat to exercise their heart and lungs. Taster sessions will introduce them to boat racing and promote the Healthy Heart message.  There will plenty of opportunity for youngsters to get involved with a total of 100 training sessions taking place during the two-year project.

Age Concern, East Midlands - ‘Wii Fun’

£2,325

‘Wii Fun’ is set to get hearts racing in the East Midlands, as Age Concern works to improve the health and fitness of older people in the area using the latest technology.  In this innovative project older people will get gentle cardio-vascular exercise to keep their hearts healthy by taking part in virtual activities including baseball, golf, tennis and ten-pin bowling on the Nintendo Wii.  Over 300 people will take part at sessions held at nine Age Concern venues.

Nuneaton and Bedford Healthy Living Network, Nuneaton - ‘Men’s Heart Health’

£7,834

Men in the most deprived areas of Nuneaton and Bedworth will be offered health MOTs in some unusual locations in this pioneering project.  Life expectancy for men in the area is lower than the England average and early deaths from heart disease are higher.  Men are a difficult group to target as they can be reluctant to go to the doctor, so this project will take the checks to them, in venues like pubs, clubs, bingo halls and betting shops.  The checks will include weight and blood pressure measurements and dietary advice. The project will work closely with other local initiatives and if necessary refer the men who take part to other services for advice and appointments.

Willowbank Ltd, Northern Ireland - ‘Love your Heart’

£7,659

Willowbank Ltd is the first group in Northern Ireland to receive one of our Healthy Heart grants. It will use the funding to provide a heart health programme for adults with physical disabilities.  Participants will get chance to try new, interesting activities like boxercise, archery, Tai Chi, boccia - a  ball sport played in a wheelchair - and new age kurling, played indoors and not on ice. Healthy Heart educational sessions will focus on lifestyle factors which relate to the heart, like healthy eating.

Newcastle United Foundation, Newcastle upon Tyne - ‘Match Fit’

£9,976

Match Fit will build on the local North East passion for football and use it as a way to increase physical activity and health awareness among children at 10 primary schools in Newcastle upon Tyne.  Coaching staff from the Foundation will deliver fitness sessions that will include monitoring heart rates, warm-up and cool-down sessions, along with interactive discussions about the benefits of exercise and physical activities.

Circo Kernow, Cornwall - ‘Vital Action’

£8,000

New activities like acrobatics, yoga, break-dancing and circus skills will be on offer to young people in Cornwall when they take part in the ‘Vital Action’ project. This novel heart health initiative, aimed at 15 to 24 year olds in West Cornwall who are out of work and education, involves ‘big top’ style training sessions that will run for 25 weeks.  Health professionals will carry out checks to measure blood pressure, cholesterol levels and weight and provide them with information about heart-related health issues.

To find out more about applying for a Healthy Heart Grant click here.