Rotherham Council has joined forces with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to become Rotherham Heart Town. The partnership aims to increase awareness and improve the lives of local resident’s heart health as well as supporting the work of the BHF and raising important funds for the BHF’s Mending Broken Hearts Appeal.

“Being a Heart Town is a fantastic boost for Rotherham. We’re genuinely committed to making the borough a healthier, and happier, place to live.” Councillor Ken Wyatt, Rotherham Council Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing.

As a BHF Heart Town, Rotherham residents are helping support our Mending Broken Hearts Appeal. At the moment, there's no cure for a broken heart. Once your heart muscle is damaged by a heart attack, it can never fully recover. But there is hope. To help us learn how to teach the heart to ‘heal itself’, we need to spend £50 million on research to repair damaged hearts. With your support, we could be funding trials with heart failure patients in as little as ten years’ time.

The Mending Broken Hearts Appeal aims to fund research to help people like Joanne Ward, aged 37, from Kiveton Park.

Joanne says “After a heart attack you live life on a knife edge. Now I know that the zebrafish can heal its own heart, I know there is hope for hearts like mine too.”

Whoever you are, wherever you are, there's a way for you to give hope in your Heart Town.

Make a donation now using the button below or get in touch to find out about your local Heart Town fundraising events.

EVENT: Rotherham Circle of Hope, Clifton Park and Town Centre, Saturday 29 September, 1 mile, 2 mile or 3 mile fun run and walk

Heart healthy activities for all the family. For more information contact June Thomas 01909 518062 or rotherhamhearttownevents@live.co.uk or visit www.bhf.org.uk/rotherhamcircleofhope

For more information on other ways you can get involved contact your local BHF Fundraising Volunteer Manager for Rotherham Lauren Mallinson on 01484 866 627 or mallinsonl@bhf.org.uk