Are you speedier than Santa?

At the BHF we’re getting fit for the festive season!

Thousands of Santas will be donning their running shoes and red suits to take part in our Santa Jog events across the UK.

You can get into the holiday spirit too by playing our fun online game to help Santa get in training so he’s ready for the big day.

Please help us to promote the jogs by emailing the game link to your friends, family and colleagues.

What do you think of our Santa game? Post a comment below.

Heart patient Julie’s recovery challenge

We always love to hear from our supporters. When Vicki Gilham wrote to tell us about her family’s sponsored walk in aid of the British Heart Foundation, we thought we’d find out more. Here’s the full story as told by Vicki’s dad, Pete.

“On Saturday 18 October this year, a party of 11 of us set off from the church in Patterdale to walk and scramble our way up Helvellyn in the Lake District via Striding Edge.

“My wife Julie had her mitral valve repaired in August 2007, and had set herself the recovery challenge to be able to climb Helvellyn again.

“We mentioned the trip to our son and daughters and they said they wanted to come with us. The children thought it would be a good idea to turn it into a sponsored event and set up a webpage on JustGiving.

“The climb was a very hard day for Julie. Without the continual encouragement of the family and numerous rest stops she would never have made it. The weather did not help with driving rain, strong wind and low cloud cover. After five hours of grit and determination, she finally made it to the top.

“There must be a God because as we made the final scramble up to the summit, the clouds lifted, the sun came out and the views were magnificent.

“We had originally planned to do the trip a week later but couldn't book any accommodation. That was the weekend of the Original Mountain Marathon and the terrible storms in the Lake District we all saw on the news reports!

“We ended up making over £1,500 for the British Heart Foundation.”

Have you organised your own fundraising activity or taken part in a BHF event? Post your comment below and tell us what you've been doing.

Will you go Red for Heart next February?

February is National Heart Month and a chance for you to take a stand against the UK’s biggest killer.

Every day, over 500 people die from heart and circulatory disease. The BHF is dedicated to saving lives through pioneering research, patient care and vital information.

In February, we’re urging people to raise funds and go Red for Heart.

To help you, we’ve put together a Red for Heart kit with all the tools and advice you need to make your fundraising a success.

Here are some fun ideas for starters:

• Have a Wear Red Day at work, school or in your community
• Throw a red dinner party or event with friends and family
• Organise a red-themed coffee morning or bake sale

… anything goes as long as it’s red!

Find out more at bhf.org.uk/red

Order your Red for Heart fundraising pack

Get festive fit for the BHF

With the weather turning chilly, why not set yourself a goal to ward off the winter blues?

BHF Santa jogs take place across the country in December and are a great way to get fit and have fun... and support your favourite heart charity at the same time.

You'll get a free Santa suit which you can customise any way you like. You could form a festive Santa Jog team with friends, family or colleagues. Children are also encouraged to take part in the fancy dress, with small prizes offered for the best costumes.

It's never to early to get into the festive spirit. Plus you'll know you really deserve those mince pies!

Sign up to a BHF Santa jog

Check out the ITV Wales news report from the 2007 Swansea Santa Jog

Date announced for 2009 BHF London to Brighton Bike Ride

We thought you'd like to know that we've just announced the date for our 2009 BHF London to Brighton Bike Ride. It's Sunday 21 June.

We'll be publishing further details of how to register to enter the Ride - which is the largest charity cycle event of its kind in Europe - from mid-December this year.

The 54-mile event is our biggest fundraising event, raising over £3.9m in 2007. This year we're hoping the Ride will raise even more to help continue our lifesaving work.

Cyclists really took the event to heart this year, with all places selling out weeks beforehand. And since we became involved in 1980, over £42 million has been raised for us.

You can see photos from this year's Ride and also read comments from those who part. There are also TV news reports of the event on our BHF YouTube Channel

Did you take part in the Ride this year? Would you recommend it to others interested in taking part? Are you already looking forward to it? Let us know by posting your comments below!