search
date/time
Yorkshire Times
A Voice of the Free Press
frontpagebusinessartscarslifestylefamilytravelsportsscitechnaturefictionCartoons
3:50 PM 23rd May 2019
family

The Heart Of Steel Raises £500,000

 
In less than a year, over 23,000 people have become part of history by engraving their name, or the name of a loved one, on to the iconic Heart of Steel, raising half a million pounds for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

The money raised by generous public donations will help the BHF fund ground-breaking research in to new treatments and cures for heart and circulatory diseases, including heart disease, stroke, vascular dementia and their risk factors like diabetes.

Standing at 2.4 metres high, the Heart of Steel is an art sculpture that has around 150,000 spaces for people to engrave their name, or the name of a loved one, for a donation of £20.

Chrish Perera, Head of Field Operations at the BHF, said: “We want to say a huge heartfelt thank you to everyone who has helped us raise over half a million pounds through their support of the Heart of Steel. This is an incredible amount of money that will help us to fund life saving research into heart and circulatory diseases – the world’s biggest killers.

“We think it’s fantastic that so many people want be a part of history by permanently etching their name, or the name of a loved one, on the Heart of Steel, helping to power the British Heart Foundation’s vital research.

“However heart and circulatory diseases still devastates the lives of more than seven million people and their families all over the UK. We rely on projects like the Heart of Steel along with the public’s generous support to help us in our mission to beat heartbreak forever.”

Steve Mehdi, former steelworker who created the Heart of Steel, added: “It’s wonderful to see that the Heart of Steel has the power to resonate with so many people from all over UK. The BHF and I are deeply touched by all those who have donated so far and the stories they have shared. I hope that the Heart will continue to be a success and will serve as a poignant reminder of the work there is still to do to improve the lives of people living with heart disease.”

The Heart of Steel is being displayed at Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield and has been carefully-crafted with the generous support of Yorkshire businesses. The home of the Heart of Steel is particularly poignant, as it represents the long heritage of the steel industry and the new technologies and specialised manufacturing that has redefined South Yorkshire.

Darren Pearce, Centre Director for Meadowhall, said: “It’s fantastic that this milestone has been achieved and that the Heart of Steel has struck such a chord and resonated with so many people. The project is providing families with a truly unique and heartfelt way to recognise their loved ones whilst donating to support the British Heart Foundation’s life-changing research.

“Having operated at the heart of Yorkshire for nearly 30 years, we’re incredibly honoured to be hosting it here at Meadowhall and we encourage others to come down and experience it for themselves.”

To leave a lasting legacy and make a declaration to beat heartbreak forever, visit bhf.org.uk/heartofsteel