news, news, news Keeping you up-to-date with the latest news leaving a legacy Legacy leaflet update Patient members invited to Liverpool for annual conference Please note that if you are a patient member of HEART UK and you are interested in learning more about cholesterol conditions, cholesterol research and latest thinking on diet and nutrition relating to cholesterol, then HEART UK - The Cholesterol Charity - would love to see you at the HEART UK Annual Conference in Liverpool on 24-26 June. Patient members can attend all conference sessions and a number of patient bursaries are available to cover travel, registration and accommodation costs. If you are interested, please contact the Conference Secretariat Natasha Dougall on 01922 457 984 or wheldonevents@btconnect.com. This issue of Digest also includes all the relevant information on HEART UK Annual General Meeting, which is held during the conference at the Liverpool Hope University. For more information please turn to page 7. redlaces gives you access to Body Worlds offer Everyone wearing redlaces to the new Body Worlds and The Mirror of Time Exhibition at The O 2 Bubble in London can take advantage of a special 2 for 1 offer which runs until 30 June. Therefore all redlace wearers can purchase two tickets for the price of one at the Bubble Ticket Office. The Body Worlds exhibition aims to educate the public about the risks of leading an unhealthy lifestyle and how making changes can prevent illness and prolong life. For more information about Body Worlds and The Mirror of Time Exhibition, visit www.visitlondon.com/bodyworlds Flipping fun for HEART UK Pancake Day was especially important for HEART UK this year as the charity was the chief beneficiary from Maidenhead’s annual Pancake Day Race. Many local businesses entered teams into this fun and popular event held annually on Shrove Tuesday. The teams, made up from local businesses, had to race through the Berkshire town’s main shopping precinct, successfully flipping pancakes at the same time. HEART UK did enter a team but they were no match for the experienced duo from The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, who took the pancake honours. The lunchtime event raised more than £320. Dr Nabeel Ahmed (Cardiologist), Baldeesh Rai (Dietitian) and Yasmin Quereshi (Presenter) on the set of Simply Health New TV health series for South Asians launched An entertaining new health series offering practical tips on South Asian diet and lifestyle for the whole family hit our screens on Sunday 17 May 2009. The programme, entitled Simply Health, is presented in a “Bollywood” style Hindi language which is understood by a large proportion of people from a South Asian background and is jointly sponsored by HEART UK, Diabetes UK and the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The series is made up of 30 episodes and is being shown on the subscription satellite channel Sony TV Asia until November this year. Each show will be broadcast on Sundays at 11:30am and then repeated on Fridays at 6:30pm and also on Saturdays at 9:00am. An ‘open window’ deal will allow non-subscribers to watch the show, therefore enabling up to 2 million Asians across the UK access to the programme. During its 30 episodes, Simply Health will aim to teach and inform South Asian viewers about good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle particularly in relation to Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. It will have cooking demonstrations, offer practical tips on healthy South Asian dishes and dispel any commonly held myths. HEART UK’s own dietitian Baldeesh Rai will advise the participants on how to improve their lifestyles and manage their conditions better, while celebrity chef Cyrus Todiwala will look at how traditional South Asian cuisine can be made healthier. Baldeesh said at the launch: “Most of us are aware of what constitutes healthy eating but we struggle when it comes to the practical ideas. Simply Health provides these easy, practical tips, giving great ideas which we can all incorporate without losing out on the taste. We are delighted to be working on this project to give accurate and up-to-date information suitable for the whole family on how to reduce saturated fat and energy intake and how to get more active to help maintain good health.” Many thanks to all HEART UK Patient Members who completed the Legacy Questionnaire, which was mailed out in January, reviewing two sample legacy leaflets. We have taken note of all the very valuable feedback and comments received and turned the two sample leaflets into what we believe to be a great “hybrid” leaflet. The more comprehensive Legacy booklet, which will follow the same style, will be available at the end of May, and will be posted to all members who have requested more information about leaving a legacy to HEART UK. challenge events Teamredlaces sends out challenging invitation You don’t have to be a Marathon runner, or even a 5k runner to join Teamredlaces. There is still time to join one of HEART UK’s open challenge events and raise much needed funds for the charity. As some people feel uncomfortable asking family and friends to sponsor their trip abroad, why not treat the challenge as your holiday and cover the basic tour cost yourself, raising sponsorship from others to complete your pledge? Soon our supporters will set off on various adventures, including a Cycle London to Paris, Climb Mount Kilimanjaro and Trek The 3 Volcanoes (Italy). A month later, challengers can take part in the Trek the Great Wall of China expedition. Take our cycle challenge across Egyptian desert This year’s Big Heart Bike Ride (7-15 November) is an opportunity to challenge yourself for a great cause in an amazing location – the stunning Sinai Desert in Egypt. Two previous Big Heart Bike Rides in Cuba and India have already raised thousands of pounds for HEART UK – The Cholesterol Charity and three other heart charities: BHF, C-R-Y and Echo UK – the Tiny Tickers charity. This third challenge takes place in The Sinai triangle, twice the size of Belgium, and part of the Sahara Belt. Challengers will cycle past narrow wadis, colourful canyons and rugged granite mountains, camping out under the stars on two nights, and finishing on the shores of the Red Sea. Highlights include a visit to the magnificent pyramids of Giza and an optional sunrise climb of Mount Sinai. Registration fee: £250 Minimum sponsorship: £2500 Hadrian’s Wall Great Wall of China The 3 Volcanoes Help support HEART UK Trek Hadrian’s Wall 7 - 9 August 2009 UK TREK We trek for 25 miles alongside the remaining sections of the wall, admiring ancient monuments and beautiful scenery. This may be a short challenge, but it’s still tough and offers all the rewards of achievement! Registration fee: £49 Minimum sponsorship: £550 Cycle London to Paris 2 - 6 September 2009 Trek the 3 Volcanoes (Italy) 24 - 29 September 2009 Trek the Great Wall of China 10 - 18 October 2009 Trek the Inca Trail 22 - 31 May 2010 Climb Mt Kilimanjaro 16 -26 September 2010 The Inca Trail For all your fundraising and Teamredlaces enquiries please call Carole or Claire on: 0845 873 9597 or email: info@teamredlaces.org.uk At HEART UK – The Cholesterol Charity – we rely heavily upon voluntary income to be able to continue our work supporting all those with high cholesterol, raising awareness about inherited high cholesterol (IHC), lobbying for better detection of those at risk and funding research into improved treatments. Corporate donations, grants from charitable trusts, legacies, in memoriam donations, fundraising events, direct mail campaigns, merchandise and funds raised by supporters all contributed to our £1million income last year. If, as a Member of HEART UK, you would like further information of how you might be able to support your charity over the next 12 months, please contact Carole on 01628 777046 or email: cg@heartuk.org.uk 4 DIGEST SUMMER 2009 DIGEST SUMMER 2009 5