February is National Heart Month, a time to raise vital awareness around heart conditions and an opportunity to fundraise for ECHO in your workplace and community.
7th-14th February is also Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week!
This year we’re celebrating with a Super Social Heart Month event at Evelina Children’s Hospital, after we had a super special day last year with our first ever Valentine’s Super Social.
This year, we need you to help by:
Wearing red: Be bold and be loud, let’s all wear red throughout the month of February and raise the profile of congenital heart disease. Whether it’s a crimson t-shirt, ruby red jumper or scarlet tie, snap a selfie and tag us @echoukcharity using the hashtag #NationalHeartMonth. If you’re limited to office attire, why not try a red pair of socks or a tie, and encourage colleagues to do the same!
Fundraising: There are lots of great ways to fundraise from sponsored walks to office raffles, cake sales to once-in-a-lifetime travel challenges. During February, join other ECHO supporters by holding a Super Social event and invite colleagues, friends and family to raise money for ECHO whilst enjoying some delicious nibbles! We’ll help you by sending a collection pot and some of our leaflets. We also have downloadable posters here, but we are happy to send by post if you do not have a printer.
Reach out to your child’s nursery or school: Ask your local nursery or school to get involved in National Heart Month by wearing red and including a section on congenital heart disease awareness week in their assembly. We’ve put together a letter you are welcome to amend and send: Click here to download the template letter. Let us know if you are successful in your request!
Send an email reminder to your colleagues: Invite your workplace to wear red on a certain day during the week/month and email colleagues a short blurb such as: Join me in wearing red during Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week (7-14 February) and supporting ECHO charity to hep children born with heart conditions and their families. Find out other ways you can get involved: bit.ly/ECHOheartmonth2019
Donating: Your donation helps us offer lifeline services to heart families. £12 provides a comfort pack for families arriving at hospital by ambulance, £45 sponsors an ECHO community gathering and £90 gives vital 1:1 support to families in crisis. Besides holding a Super Social event, here’s how you can donate.
Volunteering: Our volunteers are essential to everything we do – without them we simply can’t support the ECHO community. We need volunteers to help run events, connect with heart parents and provide office support. See our current roles here or get in touch.
On behalf of our members, thank you for helping us to connect up the heart community and offer support which without your help would not be possible.