Hearts need help now more than ever - James Jopling

There is no doubt the events of the last eight months have been unprecedented. It feels impossible to think that as the clocked ticked into 2020, any of us could have imagined what our personal and working lives would look like now, let alone the devastation to families and communities brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

James Jopling, Head of BHF Scotland

What has not changed, however, is our commitment at the British Heart Foundation to protect our life saving work and support the 720,000 people living with heart and circulatory diseases in Scotland. A commitment that is only made possible with your help and generosity.

At a time when hearts need help more than ever, we urgently need your support.

Our research funded by you over the last 60 years, has revolutionised how we prevent, diagnose and treat heart and circulatory diseases to save and improve lives.

But Covid-19 has put many people with these conditions at greater risk than ever.

We now know that those with established heart disease are at a higher risk of more severe complications of Covid-19. We have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic; our researchers have joined the fight against Covid-19, and we’re continuing to support patients and their families providing vital information through our Heart Helpline and the coronavirus pages on our website.

But the impact of the pandemic is the biggest challenge the BHF has faced. At a time when our research is needed most, our income has been devastated. As a result, we estimate we will have to cut in half what we spend on new research this year - from around £100m to £50m.

Such a staggering fall in income could have a devastating impact on UK cardiovascular research, the careers of bright young scientists, and advances towards better treatments and cures for people with heart and circulatory diseases.

As the biggest independent funder of research into heart and circulatory diseases in Scotland, our priority is to save and improve lives. At a time when our research is needed most, we can't slow down now. Too many lives are at stake.

These diseases sadly cause the deaths of 1,400 people in Scotland each month and three in ten deaths in Scotland each year.

We have made great progress in the 60 years since the BHF was formed. The number of people dying from heart and circulatory diseases in Scotland has fallen by half and we want to do more to help fund research into earlier diagnosis, more effective treatments, better outcomes and faster recovery.

As part of on-going efforts to protect life saving research, we are joining the Association of Medical Research Charities to call on the UK Government to establish a Life Sciences-Charity Partnership Fund.

But we also urgently need your help to keep up the pace of our research. We rely solely on your donations and every single penny is important to us.

This year, I have been continually humbled and inspired by the response of our wonderful supporters and by the fortitude of our staff and partners to ensure we can continue our work at such challenging times.

Since our shops reopened, we have been delighted to receive so many donations and to see so many customers returning. Every donation by you, every item sold to you makes a difference.

And to our very many fundraisers who’ve seen their challenges cancelled and their plans postponed, it has been amazing to see the fabulous creative ideas you have come up with to continue to raise money for us.

Over the last six decades, your support and our scientists have helped save and improve millions of lives. Our priority is to ensure this pandemic doesn’t change that and that together we can beat heartbreak forever. And we simply cannot do that without you.

For more about BHF’s work here in Scotland and across the UK and how you can support us, visit www.bhf.org.uk/starts-with-your-heart

James Jopling, Head of BHF Scotland