British Heart Foundation analysis shows it has no gender and ethnicity pay gaps, and the charity is redoubling its efforts with bold new ambitions to advance equality, diversity and inclusion.
Our Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap Report 2025 shows a median gender pay gap of 0.0 per cent, compared to the UK average of 12.8 per cent. The charity’s median ethnicity pay gap is also 0.0 per cent.
A strong and unwavering commitment to improving equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) underpins this success, as set out in our first ever EDI strategy Igniting Change in 2022, and reinforced today with a series of bold new ambitions to accelerate progress even further.
The new ambitions will continue to drive real change for employees, increase the impact of our cardiovascular research for all, and champion the voice of heart patients and ultimately aim to reduce the heart health gaps caused by inequality.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, our Chief Executive, and sponsor of the charity’s EDI programme, said: “Heart disease is a disease of inequality, shaped by where you live, your income, your gender and your ethnicity. That’s why tackling inequality is core to our mission to ensure that everyone has a healthier heart for longer.
“We know a more diverse research community is critical to delivering science that benefits more people, and that being representative of the communities we serve makes us a more powerful team.
“We are pleased to report we don’t have a gender and ethnicity pay gap, and remain steadfast in our determination to ensure equality, diversity and inclusion across our life saving work.”
Our new ambitions include:
- Colleagues: Build a diverse, inclusive BHF where everyone can belong, thrive, and access equitable opportunities for progression.
- Research: Ensure BHF-funded research is inclusive by design and supports a more representative cardiovascular research community.
- Health: Highlight cardiovascular inequalities to drive and influence change through evidence, policy, and patient support.
Making progress
Progress since the start of Igniting Change includes equal paid parental leave, remodelling of BHF’s customer support centre in Birmingham for wheelchair accessibility, the creation of a low sensory zone in London for neurodiverse colleagues, the launch of a leadership and talent programme for women and minority ethnic colleagues and the creation of an anti-racism statement, shaped by colleagues across the charity, that aims to address systemic racism. We have also increased diversity among its funding committees and sought additional EDI information during funding applications to ensure inclusivity in research.
In our policy and influencing work, we has made addressing inequalities central, publishing major reports such as Bridging Hearts and Worlds Apart on cardiovascular disease inequalities. The charity has also increased accessibility of its resources, including easy-read formats, audio, braille, and multiple languages, and established new advisory structures to ensure more diverse voices inform programmes.
Our EDI ambitions have been shaped through consultation with a wide range of colleagues, medical research representatives, patients, and supporters, ensuring the charity’s approach is collaborative and inclusive.
The Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap Report 2025 shows our median gender pay gap is 0.0%, compared with 1.7% in favour of women in 2024. The report also shows we continue to reduce its mean gender pay gap, now at 7.1 per cent in favour of men and down from 8.1 per cent in 2024.
The BHF voluntarily reports its ethnicity pay gap. This year, our median ethnicity pay gap is 0.0 per cent. The mean ethnicity pay gap is 3.8 per cent in favour of minority ethnic colleagues, which reflects the current distribution of roles in the workforce.
Explore our EDI vision
