BHF charity reopens its eight shops

Michael Stewart, President of Belfast Chamber, showed his support for the retail operation of the BHF NI by visiting the leading charity’s Belfast shop.

The Belfast president was one of the first people through the doors of the Fountain Street shop after it started welcoming customers back to shop safely over the weekend after months of lockdown.

Mr Stewart said: “It is great to see the BHF NI reopening its Belfast shop. It is yet another small step in the right direction as our city begins to reopen after being virtually shut down for more than three months as a result of the restrictions imposed to stop the spread of Covid-19.

“The BHF NI does a tremendous job in supporting research and their shops are a hugely important element of the organisation’s fundraising, so as well as breathing life back into Belfast city centre, by opening, BHF NI will be able to continue to do great work in tackling all heart and circulatory diseases.”

The BHF is the UK’s biggest independent funder of cardiovascular research and the crisis has cost it around £10 million a month. This drastic drop in income has coincided with a significant increase in demand for the charity’s services, with calls to its Heart Helpline increasing by 400% at the peak of the pandemic as it became clear that people with heart and circulatory diseases were at increased risk from Covid-19.

The BHF now anticipates it may have to cut research spending by half this year from £100m to £50m. Alongside other leading medical research charities, it’s calling on the UK Government to match charity-funded research for the next three to five years to ensure the pace of progress can be maintained.

BHF NI Head Fearghal McKinney said: “Our shops fund a huge proportion of cardiovascular research, so the reopening of doors is welcomed news for thousands of scientists and the 225,000 local people living with heart and circulatory diseases in Northern Ireland, as well as our shoppers. But the coronavirus crisis will unfortunately have a long-lasting and devastating impact on charities like ours, with the BHF’s funding for new research falling by a shocking £50m this year alone. That’s why, not only do we need urgent help from our loyal supporters, we’re also urging the UK Government to ensure funding for vital research charities.

“For us, it will mean we can protect the progress we have made so far and continue to transform the lives of those with heart and circulatory diseases. It’s ultimately patients who will suffer if this doesn’t happen.”

To find your local BHF NI shop visit: www.bhf.org.uk/shop

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