The Sussex Heart Charity

21/08/2026

Have you checked out our online shop recently?

We’ve just added some exciting new SHC goodies, plus there’s a special offer on our tote bags - perfect for showing your support! ❤️

👕 New SHC T-shirts – originally released at our sponsored walk in May, both styles are now available to buy online! Choose from the classic SHC logo or our exclusive single heartbeat design.

❤️ Our latest wristband is here! – wear your support of the SHC wherever you go with our brand-new wristband.

👜 SHC tote bags SALE! Our popular tote bags are now just £4.99, perfect for shopping, work, days out and more – all while supporting SHC.

Whether you’re looking to treat yourself, pick up a little gift for someone special, or simply want to show your support for the SHC, there’s something for everyone in our shop!🥰
https://sussexheartcharity.shop/

20/08/2026

Today, we were delighted to support our local community by loaning a defibrillator to the team at MK Dental and Implant Clinic in Kemptown.

Did you know that, to ensure patient safety, dental surgeries need to have access to a defibrillator?

The surgery was waiting for a replacement battery for their own defib and, without one available, they were unable to open.

We were pleased to step in and provide MK Dental with a temporary defib, helping the team to continue looking after patients.

Supporting local people and communities is at the heart of what we do, and we’re proud to be there when they need us. ❤️❤️

18/08/2026

Thank you, Hove Polyclinic! ❤️

It was a pleasure to visit Hove Polyclinic today and collect the SHC coin box from their café.

A huge thank you to everyone who donated – your incredible generosity helped us raise a fantastic £143.70!

Every penny donated really does make a difference and helps us continue our work supporting local heart patients and communities.

We’d also like to say a special thank you to Beckie and all the team for choosing to support the SHC and for giving one of our coin boxes a home. We’re very grateful for your support and for helping us raise vital funds and awareness. ❤️ ❤️

14/08/2026

Thanks to your generous support, we're helping bring innovative care to heart patients across Sussex. ❤️

Earlier this year, we funded almost £100,000 for state-of-the-art Endoscopic Vein Harvesting (EVH) equipment at the Sussex Cardiac Centre at Royal Sussex County Hospital.

This innovative technology allows surgeons to remove veins through a much smaller incision during heart bypass surgery – which helps patients recover faster, experience less pain and face a lower risk of infection and complications.

Since the EVH equipment was introduced, the team has performed more than 300 EVH procedures. Early data shows a sixfold reduction in wound infections - with no in-hospital infections recorded and the outpatient infection rate below 2%.

These fantastic results show the real impact of SHC funding.

We were also delighted to support Consultant Cardiac Surgeon Mr Ahmed and Dr Zhu Zhang with SHC Educational Bursaries. This funding helped them attend the international ISMICS conference in Miami, where they shared RSCH’s award-winning EVH work with cardiac specialists from around the world.
📷They are pictured at the event, with their presentation.

Your support makes all this possible. Thanks to you, we can continue to fund vital equipment, education and innovation – helping to improve care and outcomes for local heart patients.

Thank you for helping us make a lasting difference to cardiac care across Sussex. ❤️

To read more about our EVH funding – check out our website:
https://www.sussexheartcharity.org/from-patient-care-to-international-recognition-the-impact-of-shcs-evh-funding/

13/08/2026

New patient resource!

We’d like to let you know about ‘Heart Hub’, which has just launched on the NHS UHSussex website.

The hub is a dedicated place for cardiac information, with helpful resources for patients covering:

❤️ Cardiac Rehabilitation
❤️ Understanding medical terms used for cardiac conditions, tests and treatments
❤️ How to make your medical information available to medics in a healthcare emergency
❤️ Organisations specialising in cardiac healthcare and support (featuring the SHC!)

Heart Hub is a great place for patients and their families and carers to find reliable information and support, all in one handy location.

Take a look and explore the resources available via the link below👇

Offering links to many reliable sources of cardiac information from one central hub. Assembled by cardiac patients, with medical oversight,

12/08/2026

A huge thank you to Katie!

Katie is taking on the South Coast Ultra Challenge in just a few weeks to raise funds for the SHC, and she’s been busy selling homemade crafts at work to help boost her fundraising total.

The craft sale raised an amazing £191, bringing Katie’s current fundraising total to £464.25! 🎉

What a fantastic effort - thank you so much Katie! ❤️

Katie is fundraising for the SHC as a way of thanking the amazing cardiac teams who cared for her dad after he had a heart attack earlier this year. ❤️❤️

Katie has a 75km training walk planned for this weekend. Best of luck Katie - here’s hoping the blisters stay away! 🚶‍♀️

If you’d like to read more about Katie’s story, or support her fundraiser – you can find her JustGiving fundraising page here:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/katie-field-14

07/08/2026

A big thank you to everyone at The Montefiore Hospital in Hove for your amazing support. ❤️

Earlier this week, we visited the hospital to collect the coin box that’s displayed in the reception area. Thanks to the generosity of the staff, patients and visitors, it raised a fantastic £128.88!

The Montefiore team have supported us for many years, and through their coin box collections, have now raised nearly £1,000. We are very grateful for their continued support. Every donation will make a big difference – thanks everyone! ❤️

31/07/2026

A huge thank you to the cardiac rehab team and patients at the Princess Royal Hospital, who held an SHC fundraiser earlier this month.

During the World Cup, everyone wore football shirts to show their support for their favourite team - and for the SHC! ❤️ ⚽️

Together, they raised a fantastic £130.57 🎉

We’re very grateful for their amazing support and generosity - every pound will help us make a real difference.

Thank you everyone! ❤️

30/07/2026

Ready to take on a challenge and make a real difference?

Join our fundraising team at next year's Brighton Half Marathon and make every mile count!

Every step you take and every pound you raise will help us support heart patients, local communities, and NHS cardiac staff across Sussex. ❤️

When you join Team SHC, you’ll receive:

✨Free access to our SHC Runners Room at the Mercure Hotel – includes complimentary bag drop, post-run massage and refreshments
✨A free Sussex Heart Charity technical running T-shirt
✨Your BHM27 General Entry fee reimbursed if you raise over £250
✨An SHC Goodie Bag and a certificate of achievement!
✨Regular support – we’ll be in touch to support you every step of the way
✨No fundraising targets or sign up fees - simply book your own race place and run with us!

A huge thank you to Mark and the Natural Balance Therapies team, who are once again providing complimentary post-race massages for our runners. We’re so grateful for your ongoing support and generosity.

Ready to join Team SHC?

Click the link below to find out more and sign up today! ❤️
https://www.sussexheartcharity.org/events/brighton-half-marathon-2027/

28/07/2026

In memory of James ❤️

In 2025, James sadly passed away from heart failure at just 47 years old. A devoted husband, father, friend and much-loved family man, he is deeply missed by all who knew him.

James received care at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, and following his passing, James’s wife Rachel began fundraising to support the Sussex Cardiac Centre. The SHC is privileged to have joined with Rachel to establish a fund in James’s memory.

Thanks to Rachel’s incredible fundraising, alongside the generosity of James’s family, friends and colleagues, the fund has already raised more than £20,000 and supported staff to attend specialist ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) training at St Thomas’ Hospital in London.

To mark the first anniversary of James’s passing, the team at Proof Drinks (the company James co-founded), took on the “9,000km for James” fundraising challenge — collectively they virtually travelled the equivalent distance from their London HQ to Cazcabel Tequila’s distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. Through running, cycling, swimming, rowing and walking, the team completed an incredible 10,521km and raised a fantastic £2,777 for the fund.

A huge thank you to everyone at Proof Drinks for their amazing fundraising efforts – what an inspiring group effort and a wonderful way to honour James’s memory.

We are very grateful to Rachel for her remarkable dedication, and we thank her for her generosity and support during such an incredibly difficult time for her and her family.

The fund will make a lasting difference to cardiac care in Sussex – and will be a meaningful and enduring legacy in James’s memory. ❤️❤️

You can read more about James’s fund, the Proof Drinks fundraiser and the SHC’s support of the ECMO service at RSCH on our website:
https://www.sussexheartcharity.org/jamess-legacy-a-lasting-impact-on-cardiac-care/

Pictured is James, Rachel and their two children.