School goes red for British Heart Foundation Scotland
Staff and pupils at Coatbridge High School have thrown their support behind the British Heart Foundation Scotland’s Red for Heart campaign.
Taking part in the BHF’s national wear red day, the school’s 1,300 pupils swapped their school uniforms for brightly coloured red clothing.
Rallying together in red, organiser Charles Fawcett hopes the event will encourage people to think about their hearts and also help raise money for BHF research.
The Heart Start co-ordinator said: “We have a big programme in North Lanarkshire called heart start because the mortality rate from heart disease is still higher in the area compared to other parts of the UK.
“We wanted to support the wider British Heart Foundation programme because we know there is a lot of important research going on in Scotland which is looking at innovative ways of repairing hearts.
“Scotland always punches above its weight with charitable work and we want to be part of that.”
Around 140,000 people in Scotland have suffered a heart attack, and heart and circulatory disease remains as the main cause of death in Scotland, causing nearly a third of all deaths, around 17,000 a year.
As well as dressing to impress, pupils from the school’s Girls Go for Health, Duke of Edinburgh Award and North Lanarkshire Challenge groups also gave up their lunchtime to teach others about life-saving emergency life support skills.
Mrs Janie O’Neill, Head Teacher at Coatbridge High School, said: “The school wanted to get involved because we fully support the work British Heart Foundation Scotland is doing and we all know heart disease affects so many people in this part of the world.
“Health and Wellbeing is part of the school curriculum and it is important that we promote a healthy lifestyle.
“Our young people are always willing to get involved in good causes and we are hoping to raise as much money as possible for the nation’s heart charity in National Heart Month.”
Heather Gregory, local fundraising volunteer manager at BHF Scotland, said, “National Heart Month is an important time for all of us to think about our own hearts and of those others.
“Our Red for Heart campaign is our way of raising money to continue saving lives. Thanks to everyone at Coatbridge High School for going Red for Heart to help us to do this.”
This article is in association with
For more information on national heart month, visit the STV Health Centre, brought to you by NHS inform
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