Couple from local cinema raise £1469 for the BHF

James Pickworth, the General Manager at The Playhouse Cinema, along with friend and colleague Kirsty Dobson walked 41 miles with to help raise vital funds for research into heart disease for the British Heart Foundation.

Brother Ronnie had been an inspiration when it came to a fit and healthy lifestyle, cycling from Lands’ End to John O Groats in 10 days.

James said: “We felt that walking 41 miles was the best way to honour my brother’s memory. Ronnie was very into his fitness, and we have done him proud.

"We want to thank our friends, family and local community for all of their encouragement and support for our fundraising helping us to raise £1,000 over what we originally planned to raise.We are so delighted to have reached £1,469.”

Every week in the UK, 12 people under the age of 35 are lost to sudden cardiac death.

Melanie Meik, Community engagement and Fundraising Manger for Lincolnshire at the British Heart Foundation said: “Sadly, heart and circulatory diseases can affect anyone at any age, even those that appear fit and healthy.

"James and Kirsty have turned tragedy into a tribute in memory of Ronnie and raised an incredible amount of money to support research into heart and circulatory disease.”

The British Heart foundation has been funding lifesaving and life changing research for more than 60 years .

Their most recent and most ambitious research project is CureHeart, which sees a global team of the world’s brightest and best researchers and scientists working together on the first cures for inherited heart muscle diseases.

Melanie added: “Too many families are living in fear that faulty genes could be passed down from generation to generation. That’s why we urgently need a cure.”

The CureHeart team aims to cure these diseases and improve lives by repairing faulty genes in the heart with a simple injection to the arm. Inherited heart muscle diseases can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, palpitations, chest pains and blackouts.

Melanie continued: “Every six minutes in England someone is hospitalised due to a heart attack and an estimated 150,000 people are living with heart and circulatory disease in Lincolnshire.

“Money raised from events such as these are currently helping to support over 1,000 research projects into heart disease around the UK.

“Progress is being made but there are still millions of adults and children who need help.”

To find out how you can join the fight for every heartbeat and take part in a BHF event

visit bhf.org.uk/events