The Heart Hero Awards returned for their eighth year – rolling out the red carpet to celebrity supporters and inspiring advocates.
In a ceremony hosted by broadcaster Vernon Kay last night, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) celebrated those that have gone above and beyond in the lifesaving work against cardiovascular disease.
Returning for the sixth time, Vernon said: ‘Every year it’s such a privilege to meet so many inspiring people – their stories always bring tears to my eyes.
‘This event is a wonderful way to recognise all the incredible people who help the BHF make a real difference to so many lives.’
But one winner of the Heart Hero Awards, of which Metro was a media partner of, did not look like the expected ‘incredible people’. Golden retriever Polly was given her own ‘Bark Hero Award’.
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The four-year-old woke up owner Hannah Cooke, 33, when her husband Adam suffered a cardiac arrest in his sleep.
Hannah then began CPR in those vital seconds and Adam survived.
He was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy and was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator – a device to fix heart rhythm issues via electrical shock.
The couple, from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, are now expecting their second child, but Adam has said in Polly’s mind she is still always ‘number one’.
Collecting the award on Polly’s behalf, Hannah said: ‘She’s the best dog anyone could ask for, but the best part is that we still have Adam here with us today, and our family of four will be growing to a family of five very soon.’
On the honour, Adam said: ‘What Hannah and Polly did the night I almost lost my life was incredible. Hannah and Polly truly are my Heart Heroes, and I’m so glad they’re getting the recognition they deserve.’
The awards also honoured Shirley West and Maureen Lemin, the duo who have been driving the Guildford Fundraising Group forward for more than 40 years to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for the charity.
Legendary composer, producer and musician Nitin Sawhney presented their award and thanked the two for their ‘extraordinary dedication, passion, creativity, and unwavering commitment’ on behalf of the BHF.
The foundation also honoured the support it has received from the Frost family, including the Miles Frost Fund, which aids access to genetic testing for inherited heart conditions.
The family partnered with BHF after Miles died from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an inherited cardiac condition, at just 31 years old.
Accepting an award on behalf of their family, brothers Wilf and George Frost said: ‘When Miles died, we were completely devastated but thought that if we could help to prevent other families going through what we went through then, despite the extraordinary sense of loss, perhaps his death would not have been in vain.’
They added that ‘progress in this area’ was great to see and they were ‘humbled to accept this award on Miles’ behalf’.
BHF Ambassadors Gemma Atkinson, Ollie Proudlock and Kimberly Hart-Simpson joined the award-winners for celebrations at London’s Bloomsbury Ballroom.
Gemma, who wore a bold red coat to respect the charity’s iconic colour, said: ‘As someone who has seen the impact of heart disease in my own family, I know how vital the British Heart Foundation’s work is.’
Footballer Tom Lockyer was there to announce Sky Bet as the BHF’s Corporate Partner of the Year, explaining that the collaboration ‘has reached communities and football clubs nationwide helping inspire over 350,000 people to learn CPR, raising more than £3 million for lifesaving research’.
Tesco was also recognised with the Outstanding Partner Commitment to Cause Award, having raised £26million and installed over 3,000 defibrillators.
Closing the event, BHF Chief Executive Dr Charmaine Griffiths said: ‘The Heart Hero Awards shine a light on the most heartening stories – from those who raise vital funds, teach lifesaving skills, campaign for change, and lead pioneering BHF-funded research. These people truly are heroes, and my heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone involved.
‘The incredible and generous contributions of our Heart Heroes are helping us to achieve our vision of a world free from the fear of cardiovascular disease – which claims the life of a loved one in the UK every three minutes.’
There are more than 7.6million people living with cardiovascular disease in the UK – and a quarter of all deaths in the country are caused by cardiac health issues.
Dr Griffiths added: ‘BHF-funded research has already saved countless lives, but our job is far from done. The more we can discover, through the public’s generosity, the more lives we can save and improve – and give families many more Christmases together.’