Southampton heart charity confirms Heart & Stroll will be back next year

Following the success of its inaugural Heart & Stroll event, leading cardiac charity, Heartbeat has revealed it will be coming back for a second year in 2026 – and spaces can be secured now for a discounted rate.

This year’s Heart & Stroll, which is a gentle 5k walk around Southampton Common, attracted over 700 people, and participants can now sign up to next year’s Heart & Stroll for just £7.50 per adult, with kids and dogs attending for free, until 31^st July.

Taking place on Sunday 28^th June 2026, the countdown is on for Heart & Stroll 2026, which aims to raise awareness of improving heart health through walking while raising some much-needed funds along the way.  

Heart & Stroll is inspired by heart transplant patient and Heartbeat trustee member, Robbie Burns, 53, who was born with a heart defect that saw him endure two open heart operations as a child.

“My health deteriorated to the point where I was placed on the transplant list in 2019” Robbie said. “I received the all-important call in June of 2020, the day of my wedding anniversary, that I was to receive a heart transplant the following day. It was a hugely emotional time and a lot to process.” 

Since then, Robbie has lived with the challenges that come with a major operation and his recovery has come with ups and downs – but that did not stop Robbie from completing a 13 mile walk from his home in Winchester to Heartbeat House in Southampton in 2021 to raise £8,000.

Robbie added. “I want to encourage as many people as possible to walk in honour of someone who is living with a heart condition, knows someone who has, or simply just to connect with others and make new friends.”

Funds raised from Heartbeat go to supporting the work of the Wessex Cardiac Unit at the University Hospital Southampton, through pioneering projects and ground-breaking research to support cardiac patients and their relatives from as far north as Birmingham and as far reaching as Guernsey.

Tanya Harder, Project Lead of Heart and Stroll: “This incredible event brings our community together, not just for a fun and family-friendly day out, but to make a real difference by supporting our hospital’s cardiac unit. It’s a powerful reminder of how vital it is to care for our hearts. Something as simple as walking can significantly improve heart health, and it’s a step we can all take for ourselves and for those we love.”

Mark Ind, CEO  “The joy of this, is that it truly is for everyone. Heart & Stroll is just that, we want people to focus and think about how they can look after their heart by taking part in this gentle exercise, but also give people the space to think about loved ones effected by heart disease and to take the time to raise a bit of money for the cardiac unit, but to also have fun.”

For anyone wanting to sign up to take part head to https://www.heartbeat.co.uk/events/heart-and-stroll-2026 to sign up.