Fears for future of Preston charity Heartbeat as resources reduce at "dramatic rate"

A cardiac charity which supports 1,000 people every week says a "dramatic" reduction in its finances could lead to services being pulled.

Heartbeat, which offers 122 classes every week across the North West - including rehabilitation sessions, education, and defibrillator training - is struggling to bring in the £1m per year it needs to keep running. Currently, it does not receive any public funding.

Read the tributes to Heartbeat founder Rosemary Redman here

Chief Executive Louise Bache said: "Our resources are reducing at quite a dramatic rate." She added: "Usually legacies (money given in wills) have given us quite a boost, but we didn't get any legacies last year. Now we're trying to get support from businesses, the corporate world, and let people know about Heartbeat. We're not NHS-run, we're not council-run, we have to find resources ourselves."

Louise added: "We support 1,000 people every week and we've been around for 46 years. We want to continue being here, but it's becoming increasingly difficult. The costs of running this charity are £1m a year, and last year we didn't get £1m. We're currently pushing to be at that stage, but if the money doesn't come in, then we will have to cut back on services and will have to reduce the number of people we support. It's a devastating thought".

Louise said a rise in utility bills has compounded the issue, and work is being done to apply for public funding, but it isn't always straightforward.

Communities across Preston, Wyre, South Ribble and Chorley are supported by Heartbeat. If anyone wants to know more about how they can help the charity, call 01772 717147 and ask for the fundraising team, or donate online here.

Background of Heartbeat

In 1977 Rosemary Redman and her husband Keith lost their 16-year-old daughter Gillian to an undiagnosed heart illness. This was the impetus to start Heartbeat, which would provide help to others with similar conditions as well as to develop support and enhanced rehabilitation for people affected by heart disease post-hospital discharge.

It started as a full cardiac rehabilitation programme at Preston Polytechnic (UCLAN), with services also at Pond House, in Fulwood, before it moved to the former National Football Museum, in Deepdale, in February 2015.