05. Why the British Heart Foundation?

0
Jul 11, 2017/ Off Comments / in Kilimanjaro / by

On Twitter and in each of our first 4 blogs, we have been quite light hearted (excuse the pun) about our Kilimanjaro challenge, but on a more serious note, we’ve emphasised that the funds we raise for The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is central to Jason’s and Richard’s entire Kilimanjaro challenge. From the blood, sweat and tears from training, to pushing their bodies to the limits during the climb itself – their motivation is knowing that it’s all for the greater good of the BHF. With so many deserving charities out there, why did we choose this charity?

The BHF is a charity dear to everyone’s hearts, none more so that SR Timber’s Trading Director, Shaun Revill – who tragically lost his first born daughter shortly after birth due to a heart defect. At SR Timber, we’re determined and passionate to raise funds for this great charity that continues to do great, revolutionary things.

Your heart – that precious fist-sized muscle in the engine room of your body – is the reason you’re alive and able to do the things you do every day. If your body was a football team, your heart would be the stalwart midfielder – the unsung hero that supports all areas of the pitch, keeping the team ticking over and doing what they should be doing. If this player gets injured, the team suffers – and sometimes doesn’t recover.

Did you know Coronary Heart Disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the UK and the world? Despite some being more susceptible than others, heart conditions don’t discriminate; they can affect anyone from professional athletes to new born babies.

A few facts that may surprise you:

– Every 6 minutes someone in the UK will have a heart attack
– 73,000 deaths in the UK each year from coronary heart disease – about 1 in 6 men and 1 in 10 women
– Each year, the UK spends 3.2 billion each year on healthcare costs for Heart Disease

It’s not all doom and gloom!

It’s not a losing battle – the British Heart Foundation is leading the fight against heart disease and with your help, is getting closer to winning. So how exactly do your donations help them?

After 50 years of funding cutting edge research, the BHF has already made a difference to millions of peoples’ lives. In fact more people now survive heart attacks than ever before. As we live in an ageing population, more and more people suffer from heart disease, which means the BHF needs our help.

What difference has the British Heart Foundation made so far?

In the 1960’s only 20% of new born babies born with a heart defect lived to see their first birthday. With the help of the BHF, this has fallen by 80% in the last 3 decades.

Pacemakers and ICD implants have advanced, restoring irregular heartbeats that often lead to Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome, helping people control their heart conditions.

Statins (cholesterol medication) is still lowering cholesterol levels for millions, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Heart attack treatment and heart transplant procedures have evolved and revolutionised making recovery easier and enhancing both quality and length of life.

Studies have found heart disease runs in families. These inherited genetic conditions have been explored and can now be diagnosed earlier and treated – preventing sudden death.

But for all the success the BHF has earned so far, the fight is far from over, and we at SR Timber are right behind them every step of the way. Are you?

Please help by sponsoring Richard and Jason in their Kilimanjaro expedition – a huge challenge for them, but minuscule in comparison to the British Heart Foundation’s. 100% of funds raised go direct to the BHF.

You can donate by texting GOSR89 £5 (or however much you’d like to donate) to 70070, or by clicking the ‘Sponsor Me’ button below to access our Just Giving page.

Have a heart and help the BHF continue to tackle Britain’s biggest killer!