News and Stories

A pioneering trial led by University Hospital Southampton (UHS) is testing whether exercising before heart surgery can help patients recover faster and improve long-term outcomes. The CardioFit trial is delivered through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Southampton Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and supported by the Heartbeat charity. Patients with cancer are already routinely offered ‘prehabilitation’ as part of a UK-first NHS service at UHS. The

A charity quiz night has raised almost £2,800 before costs for cardiac charity Heartbeat to help it continue supporting Dorset’s cardiac patients and their families. The quiz night brought together 15 teams for an evening packed with friendly competition, teamwork, and plenty of laughter. Claiming the winning title on the night were the “Tormanators” from planning and design consultants TorandCo, who triumphed after a fantastic performance. Close behind as runners-up were “D

A variety show in support of local cardiac charity Heartbeat dazzled audiences at Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre last Sunday, delivering an evening filled with live music, comedy, and a diverse range of performances. Comedy Wordsmith Lloyd Hollett ‘Variety From the Heart’ brought the stage to life with appearances from emerging local talent, including Phoenix Performing Arts, Sing Now Choir, and Spot-On Productions. The spectacular evening was hosted by comedy wordsmith Ll

A legal firm’s Managing Partner has taken on a 50-mile hike from Winchester to Southampton and then Bournemouth in just two days to raise money for cardiac charity Heartbeat. Paris Smith’s Managing Partner Huw Miles has hiked between the firm’s three offices in Winchester, Southampton and Bournemouth, successfully raising £2,440 for Heartbeat’s pioneering 3D heart project. Huw set off from the heart of Winchester city centre on Sat 11 April and crossed the finish line on Sund

With just two weeks to go, the countdown has officially begun for a spectacular night of entertainment at the Mayflower Theatre in support of cardiac charity Heartbeat. On Sunday 19 April, Variety from the Heart will take centre stage, promising an unforgettable evening packed with dazzling performances from a mix of established stars and exciting local talent. Big names include ventriloquist and comedian Max Fulham fresh from his appearance in the theatre’s 2025 production

Ex-Soccer AM presenter Peter ‘Tubes’ Dale and former Premier League striker James Beattie have joined forces to take on the ultimate golf challenge in aid of Southampton cardiac charity, Heartbeat. This inspiring duo – nicknamed ‘Beatts and Tubes’ – will soon be swinging into action for an incredible fundraising challenge. They aim to complete 18 holes of golf across 18 different courses within just 18 hours, beginning at Boundary Lakes Golf Course in Southampton and finishin

Kay and Adrian Butterworth A cardiac charity in Southampton has received a kind donation of £6,000 from the Marden Charitable Trust. Trustees of the Marden Charitable Trust, Kay and Adrian Butterworth from Brockenhurst in the New Forest, have made the biggest donation of their financial year to cardiac charity Heartbeat to acknowledge its work supporting Kay as she underwent treatment for a heart condition. In 2022, Kay visited her local surgery as she had swollen ankles and

Residents and businesses from across the Isle of Wight have experienced a two-day heart health awareness drive from cardiac charity Heartbeat. During the two days, a grand total of £1,064.80 was raised for Heartbeat as they hosted a ‘Healthy Heart’ pop-up clinic hosted by a specialist cardiac nurse, a networking event sponsored by Emerald Elite VA Services, and the charity’s ‘Beat the Heat’ quiz night at Ryde Castle Hotel. Each event put Heartbeat’s vital work delivering card

A 14-year-old girl from Southampton who set out to raise money for her 3D heart has collected more than £6,000 for cardiac charity Heartbeat. Jasmine Bannister from Hedge End, who was born with Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries, where the left and right ventricles are swapped around, as well as a hole in her heart among other conditions, underwent complex heart surgery in December 2024. She was one of the children to benefit from a ground-breaking 3D

Southampton cardiac charity Heartbeat has raised just under £2,000 at its popular quiz night. The Beat the Heat Southampton quiz night was held on 25 th February at the Leonardo Royal Hotel Southampton Grand Harbour, and saw 22 teams of six pitting their wits against each other, testing their general knowledge to the maximum all while raising much-needed funds for the charity. Beat the Heat Southampton Champions - Lumie’s Bright (Ish) Sparks Winning team “Lumie’s Bright (Ish

Waitrose Portswood has continued its partnership with Southampton cardiac charity Heartbeat with another generous donation. The charity has received £1,000 from Waitrose as part of John Lewis & Partners’ Community Matters initiative – a quarterly charitable giving programme which sees customers vote for a good cause with plastic green tokens dropped off after their shop. Last year, Waitrose donated £2,500 to help improve the care and support the charity’s D2 Ward based at Uni

New Forest hotel & spa Chewton Glen has raised £3,057 for Southampton cardiac charity Heartbeat in 2025. One of the hotel’s three chosen charities, Heartbeat will be putting the funds raised towards providing life-saving treatment to those with heart conditions across the Wessex region and beyond. To raise the impressive amount, the Chewton Glen team organised a busy schedule of of events from summer parties to bonfire nights. Guests were also able to contribute by donating a

A charity in Southampton has received a kind donation of £10,000 to help it continue supporting patients with heart conditions and their close relatives. Fund Administrators Saltgate have made the generous donation to Heartbeat as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting local communities. The money will go towards renovating the charity’s Rotary Heartbeat House, a ‘home from home’ based just a stone’s throw from University Hospital Southampton where families and loved o

2026 has started with an incredible burst of energy for our Cardiac Youth Service ! From exciting adventures to inspiring conversations, our young cardiac patients are already making this year one to remember. We began the year with a Residential Adventure at Ferny Croft , where participants took part in a range of confidence-building and team-building activities. From navigating challenges together to celebrating personal achievements, the weekend provided an unforgettable o

Southampton’s largest-ever charity walk is set to return to Southampton Common this summer, as cardiac charity Heartbeat brings back its popular Heart & Stroll event on Sunday 28th June 2026. Following last year’s sell-out event, which welcomed more than 750 participants, Heart & Stroll 2026 is set to be bigger and better than ever, with organisers expecting attendance to double. The family-friendly event features a gentle 5km walk around Southampton Common, designed to b

A Winchester golf club has raised more than £34,000 in aid of Southampton cardiac charity, Heartbeat. South Winchester Golf Club in Romsey will be donating the above-par total of £34,680.24 to its chosen charity Heartbeat which supports cardiac patients receiving care at the Wessex Cardiac Unit at the University Hospital Southampton. Throughout the year, the club has supported Heartbeat with its dedicated charity golf day and held a number of tournaments to drive its fundrais

Left to Right: Anna Malcolm (Heartbeat Guernsey Liaison), Amelia Firetto (Heartbeat Dorset Fundraiser) and Tina Tolley (Head of Business and Donor Development) The Guernsey Friends of Heartbeat – the Bailiwick branch of the charity helping families of cardiac surgery patients in Southampton – has bid farewell to donor development manager Tina Tolley, the face of the charity in the Bailiwick for the past seven years. Heartbeat has a long-standing connection with Guernsey, prov

The countdown is on for a truly spectacular evening of fundraising at Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre supporting cardiac charity Heartbeat. On Sunday, 19 April 2026 Variety from the Heart 2026 will light up the stage with its full-to-bursting line up of talent of seasoned professionals and local rising stars performing live music, side-splitting comedy and specialist variety acts. Returning to Southampton is the ever-charismatic Lloyd Hollett , known as ‘The Comedy Wordsmith’

Southampton cardiac charity Heartbeat has appointed a new Events and Corporate Fundraiser who keeps the charity, quite literally, close to his heart. Matthew Cornick was born with a leaking aortic valve and has undergone 13 gruelling open heart surgeries, but he wanted to give back to the charity which supported him and his family. At age 15 while staying at the E1 heart ward at University hospital Southampton, Matthew wanted to know who was behind some of the hospitals facil

The big annual Christmas draw in aid of Southampton charity Heartbeat has taken place at the Mayflower Theatre this week after the matinee performance of The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan . Ventriloquist and comedian, Max Fulham, who stars in the show as Smee, sprinkled some festive fairy dust as he lead the draw on Tuesday 16 th December, selecting the winning tickets on stage, assisted by Tina Richardson, Head of Operations at Heartbeat and Tina Tolley, Head of Busines