The best UK heart charities
Behind every heartbeat saved and every family supported through surgery is someone who stepped in: the researchers, nurses, first aiders and parents helping each other through. It's brave, hopeful work, and it means more time with the people we love.
Four charities, each brilliant at a different part of the job.
Rather than a ranked list, we've picked a range of charities, so together they cover more than any one could alone.
British Heart Foundation
- Heart Research
- CPR Training
- Heart Helpline
A handful of cardiologists founded the British Heart Foundation in 1961, when cardiovascular disease caused more than half of all deaths in the UK. Today it's the UK's largest independent funder of cardiovascular research, from pacemaker advances to gene therapy. Its free RevivR app teaches CPR in as little as 15 minutes, and The Circuit maps defibrillators across the UK. Its cardiac nurses answer the Heart Helpline too, which puts real expertise on the end of the phone.
Key stats
- People who learned CPR this year
- 190,000+
- Defibrillators on The Circuit
- 118,800+
- Heart Helpline enquiries answered
- 26,000+
- Researchers funded right now
- 1,272
Why we've included them
The British Heart Foundation funds research from pacemaker advances to gene therapy. Its free CPR app and defibrillator map help more people step in, while the others focus on screening and specialist support.
Registered Charity: 225971
Visit British Heart Foundation
Cardiac Risk in the Young
- Young Heart Screening
- Bereavement Support
Alison Cox MBE founded Cardiac Risk in the Young in 1995 to prevent young sudden cardiac deaths and support the families affected. Its free heart screening for 14 to 35-year-olds, overseen by leading cardiologists, reaches from the Orkney Islands to Cornwall. Its Bereavement Supporters have been through a similar loss and trained for two years to help others through theirs. Many families raise funds for screening in memory of someone they loved, which is courage and kindness in equal measure.
Key stats
- Young people screened this year
- 31,295
- Screening days across the UK
- 352
- Trained Bereavement Supporters
- 29
- Walkers at its London Bridges Walk
- 1,092
Why we've included them
Cardiac Risk in the Young adds screening for young people to the set, with free heart checks for 14 to 35-year-olds across the UK. Its trained Bereavement Supporters stand by families after a young sudden cardiac death.
Registered Charity: 1050845
Visit Cardiac Risk in the Young
Cardiomyopathy UK
- Cardiomyopathy Support
- Specialist Nurses
- Peer Support
Carolyn Biro founded Cardiomyopathy UK in 1989, giving practical advice from her kitchen table after finding no information about her own condition. Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that is usually inherited, and around 1 in 250 people in the UK have it. Today the charity's specialist nurses and peer supporters help children, young people and adults living with it. In 2025 it awarded its first research grants, a big step for a charity born at a kitchen table.
Key stats
- New people joining its support groups
- 369
- Languages its peer supporters speak
- 13
- Would recommend its nurse-led groups
- 91%
- Peer support volunteers trained
- 117
Why we've included them
Cardiomyopathy UK focuses on heart muscle disease, a condition that is usually inherited. Its nurses and peer supporters help children, young people and adults, so nobody living with it faces it alone.
Registered Charity: 1164263
Visit Cardiomyopathy UK
Little Hearts Matter
- Single Ventricle Support
- Family Support
- Youth Events
Little Hearts Matter began in 1994 as Left Heart Matters, when a specialist nurse and local parents came together to support families at Birmingham Children's Hospital. Today it's the only charity in the UK dedicated to anyone affected by a single ventricle heart condition, or half a working heart. It supports parents, grandparents and young people, and now adults, as more children grow up. Its youth events help young people talk about their hearts with confidence, and we love that.
Key stats
- Parents supported in group sessions
- 700+
- Young people reached
- 400
- Adults with half a heart supported
- 587
- Birthday cards for children and adults
- 1,614
Why we've included them
Little Hearts Matter supports anyone affected by half a working heart. It stands by parents, grandparents and young people, and now adults, as more children with the condition grow up.
Registered Charity: 1123290
Visit Little Hearts Matter
Four amazing heart charities. Why choose just one?
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