News

The National Heart Foundation of New Zealand is reaching out to the Bay of Plenty community with new services for the region's ageing population.

There has been an overwhelming response from volunteer drivers signing up for a new programme to assist cardiac rehabilitation patients to travel to Tauranga hospital for their classes.

The Heart Foundation is now in the process of training those drivers and giving them a free first aid course. Their travel expenses are also being reimbursed.

New staff have been brought in to assist the Tauranga Branch meet the growing needs of the community. Heart Health Advocate, Catherine Robinson, has recently been brought on board. Julie Sargisson has recently been appointed as a Health Promotion Coordinator responsible for working with local schools.

The Heart Foundation has also brought on Bronwyn Davis to launch a new pilot programme to raise funds. As the Direct Dialogue Programme Manager, Ms Davis will be responsible for running the new fundraiser called "Stop Hearts Breaking". "We are asking people in the Bay of Plenty region to commit to a set contribution amount each month," says Ms Davis. "Our staff will be visiting homes in the area soon, to tell residents about our work and how they can help," she says.  

The contributions will be through automated transactions so there are no cheques to write or envelopes to post. "The Bay of Plenty community has a wonderful history of supporting the Heart Foundation and we hope that will continue through our new fundraising efforts," says Ms Davis.  

The ageing population and the popularity of retirement centres in the region means the Heart Foundation has a vital job to do in preventing cardiovascular disease through funding research, advancing cardiac rehabilitation and promoting healthy lifestyles.

The Heart Foundation's Tauranga branch is also reaching out to local school children, to teach them the importance of healthy lifestyles in order to prevent heart disease later in life.

On Thursday 15 September, the Heart Foundation is hosting the Hot Shots premier Jump Rope team from Australia. The team aged 12-26, will perform energetic skipping routines and gymnastic feats at four different venues around Tauranga. The tour is to celebrate 20 years of Jump Rope for Heart (JRFH) in New Zealand which encourages physical activity as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle. Margot van Cingel has also volunteered to help deliver jump ropes to schools participating in the programme. The Heart Foundation continues to seek additional volunteers to assist with the jump rope programme.

Media Contact:

Aimee Brock
Communications Manager
The National Heart Foundation of New Zealand
Tel 09-591-9182
Mob 0274-859-059