STEAL HEARTS AND SAVE LIVES THIS VALENTINE'S DAY

• Wednesday, 06 December 2006

- British Heart Foundation’s Valentine Appeal 2007 -

Whether you’re cosily coupled up or a sassy singleton the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has the perfect way to make next Valentine’s extra special. By giving a gift that saves lives you can make February 14 a day to remember, not just for you and your loved one, but for heart patients across the UK.

The Valentine Appeal is aiming to raise £1m which will help fund BHF Heart Nurses and the charity’s Heart Information Line to care for and support more heart patients and their families. Whether a gift for that special person or a treat for yourself, the BHF has a range of heart warming ways that you can support the Appeal:

♥Love is all around – visit the campaign microsite and explore all the different ways you can make a difference. You could give a truly unique Valentine’s present of a ‘BHF discovery’. You can also find out how you can bring love to your workplace or get details of how to order fundraising materials. Visit bhf.org.uk/valentine to find out more

♥Window shop for love – from January 15, for £1 you can show the whole world how you feel by writing a Love Note for the window of your local BHF shop. To find your local BHF shop visit bhf.org.uk/shops or write an E-Love note by visiting the microsite

♥Stuck on You – write a heart shaped post it note to someone special to remind them how much you care. Pick up an exclusive mini Love Note pad from Boots the Chemists stores for a suggested £1 donation.

♥Wear your heart on your sleeve – for a £1 donation you can purchase an exclusively designed, sliver, heart shaped pin badge from Boots the Chemists.

♥Get your heart in a lather – the limited edition Radox ‘Heart Warming’ range has been lovingly crafted to support the Appeal, including Heart Warming bath, shower and hand wash products.

♥With love from me to you – from January 8, buy your loved one a Hallmark Valentine card from your local Co-op store and 5p from every card sold will go to the BHF.

♥Don’t just wear your heart on your sleeve – British jewellery designers Dower & Hall have designed the Cherished Hearts collection, with 10% of the proceeds going to the BHF.

♥Recipe for Love – cook up a storm for your Valentine by buying one of Le Creuset’s gorgeous red and heart shaped cookware items. For every product sold from its Heart collection at least 50p will be donated to the BHF.

♥Loves me, loves me not… – make a difference by purchasing your exclusively created Valentine bouquet from leading designer florist, Serenata Flowers.

♥Pleased to meet you – support the BHF by joining dating service Sara Eden Personal Introductions, with 10% on all membership fees during January and February donated to the BHF.

♥ Have an on-screen romance – give a gift of entertainment this Valentine by purchasing 1 of 4 lovingly created DVD rental gift packs from MyMovieStream.

In the UK today, there are over 2.6 million people living with coronary heart disease. For some this can be very frightening and debilitating, and many don’t always receive the support and care that they need. Last year, BHF Heart Nurses helped over 50,000 of these heart patients and the charity’s Heart Information Line provided support and information to 13,000 callers.

When parents Steve and Jane Hawkshaw discovered that their daughter, Isobel, had congenital heart disease they feared the worst. But thanks to the work of the BHF and the Heart Information Line, Isobel is still doing well. Jane said: “Apart from giving us an understanding of our daughter’s condition, the BHF were on the phone if ever we needed them. It was reassuring to know they were there. We often felt afraid but we never felt alone”.

Dame Helen Mirren added, “No-one can be prepared for the impact heart disease can have on you or someone you know. This is why I am backing the British Heart Foundation's £1m Valentine Appeal, to help them to provide many more heart patients and their families with the specialist care and support they so desperately need. Please give a gift that saves lives and make February 14 a day to remember, not just for you and your loved one, but for heart patients across the country".

ENDS

For more information please contact Karen Gray at the BHF press office on 020 7487 7172 or email grayk@bhf.org.uk. Or, contact the press office on 07764 290 381 (out of hours).

Notes to Editors
• Case studies and images available from the Press Office
• The Radox range is priced:
Radox Heart Warming Herbal Bath - RSP £1.99 , Radox Heart Warming Shower - RSP £1.99 and Radox Heart Warming Hand Wash - RSP £1.89
• The Serenata Flowers bouquets are priced: Heartthrob (A single red rose in a vase) - £21.99, Cross My Heart (A dozen red roses hand-tie) - £45.99, Heart Pursuit (Cube of red tulips) - £35.99
• For more information about the Valentine Appeal, to donate or write a Love Note online, please visit bhf.org.uk/valentine – NB: this site will be live from 8 January onwards
• The British Heart Foundation is leading the battle against heart and circulatory disease - the UK's biggest killer. The Charity is a major funder and authority in cardiovascular research. It plays an important role in funding education, both of the public and of health professionals, and in providing life-saving cardiac equipment and support for rehabilitation and patient care.
• For more information on the BHF, visit bhf.org.uk

This press release was distributed via Response Source, a service from Daryl Willcox Publishing, on behalf of British Heart Foundation. For more information visit http://www.dwpub.com/pressreleasewires