Festive support for British Heart Foundation

Sir,

For many people, Christmas is usually a time for catching up with friends, raising a glass and embracing loved ones.

But this Christmas would have been very different for most families across the UK, includThe

ing those sadly affected by heart and circulatory diseases.

There are around 720,000 people in Scotland living with heart and circulatory diseases, including coronary heart disease, stroke and vascular dementia.

We know from the millions of people who have turned to us for support in 2020 that so many people with heart and circulatory diseases are worried about their greater risk from Covid-19 and that many have been shielding.

With your support, we’ve worked tirelessly to be there for people – extending our Heart Helpline’s opening hours, providing valuable Covid-19 information and continuing to fund research with the promise of improved treatments.

Even over Christmas our Heart Helpline was open for those who needed us most.

But we need your support now more than ever to continue this vital work.

The closure of our shops and cancellation of fundraising events has had a devastating impact on our funds, putting life-saving discoveries in peril. We expect our income for 2020 to be cut in half. Traditionally, Christmas is a time for giving and generosity.

While some Christmas traditions may have changed in 2020, we hope this one hasn’t – your support will help us to continue to fund research and support millions of people with heart and circulatory diseases at a time when they really need us.

Thank you for your support.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive, British Heart Foundation