S Club shine a spotlight on heart conditions this September

We're joining forces with noughties pop sensation S Club this month to shine a spotlight on heart conditions in memory of their much-loved band member Paul.

The band are encouraging the public to support our Spotlight On campaign this month in honour of the singer who died in April this year, at the age of 46, from an underlying heart condition.

Together we want to shine a spotlight on the devastating impact of hidden heart conditions, and raise funds for vital research this September. These conditions can often go undiagnosed for too long, until something goes wrong or it's too late.  As part of the campaign S Club are encouraging fans and people across the country to post a picture on social media with the hand heart gesture to show their support and tagging their post with #showyourhearts.

The British pop band, who announced their 25th anniversary reunion tour just weeks before Paul’s tragic death, will be dedicating the first night of their ‘Good Times Tour' in Manchester on the 12th October to the BHF in his memory. 

Jon Lee, S Club member, said: “As a band we all personally know the devastating affect heart and circulatory diseases can have on people’s lives. Our hearts feel emptier without him, and we miss him every single day.  It’s heartbreaking to know that this isn’t uncommon and far too many people die too soon from heart conditions they didn’t know they had.  That’s why we’re asking everyone to show their heart and join the BHF by shining a spotlight on these conditions this September.” 

The announcement comes as new research we commissioned revealed people in the UK severely underestimate the scale and seriousness of heart and circulatory diseases. 

While it’s estimated around half of people in the UK will get a heart or circulatory condition during their lifetime, almost a quarter (23 per cent) of those surveyed thought the likelihood of them developing a heart condition was only one in 10, while nearly a fifth (19 per cent) thought the chance was just one in 50. Only three per cent of respondents knew the correct answer - which is 1 in 2.   

When people were asked if they thought they would be directly affected, across the generations, millennials (31 per cent) are most likely to think they will ever be affected by heart and circulatory diseases, whereas baby boomers are the least likely (18 per cent).  

These perceptions stand in stark contrast to the fact that there are currently around 7.6 million people living with a heart or circulatory disease in the UK, and these figures could rise further.  

People are unaware of the scale of heart and circulatory disease

Our Chief Executive, Dr Charmaine Griffiths, said:  “We’re honoured to be joining forces with S Club to shine a spotlight on heart and circulatory conditions in memory of their beloved band member Paul. Like too many families across the UK, Paul’s loved ones only knew he had a heart condition after his tragic death at such a young age. Hidden heart conditions cut people down in the prime of their lives and rob families of their loved ones in sudden and shocking ways.   

“It’s particularly worrying to see so many people are unaware of the scale of heart and circulatory diseases in the UK when one in two of us will be affected. That’s why together, with S Club, we want to raise awareness and bring heart and circulatory conditions into focus this September. By raising funds for our lifesaving research, we get a step closer to research breakthroughs that could help save and improve millions of lives and prevent people from losing loved ones too soon.”