Heartfelt thanks for donations

Dear Editor I’m writing to thank your readers for taking part in the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) Bag It. Beat It. campaign throughout September, helping to generate over 1 million bags of quality items nationwide for BHF shops and raise awareness of women and heart disease.

It’s so shocking to think that there are 3.5 million women living with cardiovascular disease in the UK and that heart and circulatory disease nearly kills more women than all cancers combined.

Thanks to the overwhelming support from local people, BHF shops across Scotland have received an impressive 110,000 bags of unwanted items.

Every item donated and bag filled helps the BHF fund vital research and prevents more women suffering from and losing their lives to coronary heart disease, the UK’s single biggest killer.

I have personally experienced the devastation heart disease can bring to a family, having lost both my dad and granddad to heart disease. I was also incredibly shocked to learn that nearly 8,000 women in the Scotland died of heart and circulatory disease last year.

This is why I have supported the BHF’s latest campaign to help raise awareness and encourage people to Bag It. Beat it.

If you would still like to get involved, the BHF are always in need of donations and would love to receive your unwanted items such as clothing, shoes, books and toys anytime of the year – they even offer a free collection service making donating completely hassle free.

To find out more about donating and the free collection service, please visit bhf.org.uk/shops. Gemma Atkinson Actress and BHF supporter