Dean Russell MP visited the British Heart Foundation store on Watford High Street to meet some of the staff and volunteers.
The British Heart Foundation funds around £100 million of research each year into all heart and circulatory diseases and the things that cause them. Their network of almost 700 shops power the lifesaving research and is largely thanks to the dedicated work of the incredible volunteers.
Today, the BHF funds more than half of all non-commercial research into heart and circulatory diseases in the UK, thanks in part to the income their shops raise.
Since their inception in 1961, the number of heart and circulatory deaths annually in the UK has decreased by half. Notable discoveries include proving the benefits of statins in the 1980s, which now save thousands of lives every year, as well as discovering that almost all heart attacks are caused by blood clots in the heart’s arteries.
Speaking after the visit Dean said “It was great to meet the staff and volunteers. Without people being kind enough to give up their own time, shops as this could not operate, so I am extremely grateful to all of those that donate their time is such a selfless way.”
