Donations have been flowing into a new charitable fund set up to support cardiac services in Essex and charities are already benefiting from the initiative.
The Essex Heart Fund was founded by two consultant cardiologists, Dr Gerald Clesham and Dr Thomas Keeble, along with charity specialist Fred Heddell, with the aim of bringing major improvements to the lives of the county's heart patients and their families.
The fund is managed by the independent charitable trust, the Essex Community Foundation, and donations of more than £16,000 have already been received.
Money donated to the Essex Heart Fund will be spent only in the county and will go on community services and peer support groups, the development of new hospital-based clinical services and local cardiovascular education and research.
Among the charities to already benefit is Essex Community First Aid, events volunteers, who were awarded £275 to buy a training defibrillator to support their work providing first aid cover at community events across Essex.
Dr Clesham, who has been a consultant in Essex for 20 years, is president of the Chelmsford and District Cardiac Support Group and knows from first-hand experience how patients often feel unsupported after being discharged from hospital.
The fund will help him and co-founder, Dr Keeble who works at Southend Hospital and the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre in Basildon, to actively promote good heart health.
Dr Clesham, who works at the Cardiothoracic Centre and at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford said: “Our aim in setting up the Essex Heart Fund is to raise charitable funds for cardiac care in Essex and ensure that the money is spent here.
“The charity will help support voluntary groups for patients and their families, will fund new clinical services and promote cardiovascular research and teaching in local hospitals and the community.
“Heart conditions are still the commonest causes of premature death and are a major cause of disability. Cardiac services in Essex serve a population of about 1.8 million people and we are confident that channelling more money into local services will result in an improved outcome for heart patients.”
Dr Clesham and Dr Keeble will be active in the Essex community to promote the fund and provide education about heart health.
Dr Clesham added: “Helping patients in the community is a very effective way of keeping people well and the Essex Heart Fund will help cardiac patient support groups develop in Essex.
“We chose to work with Essex Community Foundation because we knew that their experience and expertise would help us to achieve our ambitious objectives. We are delighted that they will help us to provide funding to the small but vital groups that give valuable support to our communities."
To find out more about the Essex Heart Fund and to make a donation, visit www.essexheartfund.org.uk
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