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Heart Heroes honoured at star studded awards ceremony
The red carpet was rolled out for celebrities from the world of showbiz, TV and sport at London’s Bloomsbury Ballroom for our eighth annual Heart Hero awards ceremony.
The star-studded event saw our ambassadors Gemma Atkinson, Ollie Proudlock and Kimberly Hart-Simpson and Tom Lockyer come together to celebrate our dedicated fundraisers, community champions as well as brave lifesavers who displayed awe-inspiring courage by administering CPR when faced with the ultimate medical emergency.
British broadcaster Vernon Kay, who returned to host the event for the sixth time, said: “Every year it’s such a privilege to meet so many inspiring people – their stories always bring tears to my eyes. This event is a wonderful way to recognise all the incredible people who help the BHF make a real difference to so many lives.”
‘Bark Hero Award’
This year’s Heart Hero Awards featured a very special CPR Hero—Polly, a four-year-old golden retriever. Polly received the ‘Bark Hero Award’ alongside her owner, Hannah Cooke. Polly received her award for waking Hannah when her husband, Adam, suffered a cardiac arrest in his sleep. Thanks to Polly’s alert and Hannah’s quick CPR, Adam survived and was there to see Hannah collect her award.
The awards also celebrated outstanding partners. Tesco was recognised with the Outstanding Partner Commitment to Cause Award, marking ten years of partnership with us. In that time, Tesco has raised £26 million, installed over 3,000 defibrillators, and supported heart health initiatives nationwide.
Oonagh Turnbull, Tesco’s Head of Health and Sustainable Diet Campaigns, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised for our partnership working with British Heart Foundation over the past decade. We hope to continue making a difference to support heart health and raise more vital funds to help save lives across the UK.”
Groundbreaking partnerships
Footballer Tom Lockyer announced Sky Bet as the BHF’s Corporate Partner of the Year, saying: “Sky Bet has worked with the British Heart Foundation to save lives today and change outcomes for tomorrow. Their impact has reached communities and football clubs nationwide helping inspire over 350,000 people to learn CPR, raising more than £3 million for lifesaving research. I’m proud to celebrate this outstanding partnership.”
It was a poignant evening as Wilf and George Frost accepted a special award on behalf of their family. Our Chief Executive Dr Charmaine Griffiths thanked them for their incredible support over the past decade, including the Miles Frost Fund, which has given thousands access to genetic testing for inherited cardiac conditions. This has saved countless lives over the past ten years and will continue to for decades to come.
Heartwarming evening
Drawing the evening to a close, Dr Charmaine Griffiths said: “The Heart Hero Awards shine a light on the most heartening stories — from those who raise vital funds, teach lifesaving skills, campaign for change, and lead pioneering BHF-funded research. These people truly are heroes, and my heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone involved.
"BHF-funded research has already saved countless lives, but our job is far from done. The more we can discover, through the public’s generosity, the more lives we can save and improve — and give families many more Christmases together.”