A Seaford Rotary club sporting event raises £5,000 for heart charity

Seaford Martello Rotary Club presenting the British Heart Foundation with a cheque of funds raised during their annual half marathon

A cheque for £1,500 was presented on Monday, November 18 using funds raised from the club’s fourth annual half marathon on June 30.

The Martello Half Marathon attracted a record number of participants this year and has raised £5,000 for the heart charity since it began four years ago.

The Rotary club continue to support the BHF because of Rotarian Martin Baldwin’s experience of heart disease.

Martin, 70, from Seaford, had a heart attack in 2004. He said: “It was completely unexpected and just came out of the blue. I was at home having a quiet evening, and then I was suddenly in hospital having emergency treatment.

“I’m only alive today because research has helped improve treatment and care. Through this event, we hope to raise money which can be used find new discoveries and save more lives in the future.”

Hannah Miller, fundraising manager for the BHF, said: “We’re so grateful to Martin and the Seaford Martello Rotary Club. Their incredible energy and enthusiasm is helping us to beat heartbreak for good, and we would like to thank them for their ongoing support and a further £1,500 raised.”

Martin said that the event ‘would not be able to take place’ without hard-working volunteers, and support from local businesses and organisations who he would ‘like to thank on behalf of Seaford Martello Rotary Club’.

The Martello Half Marathon returns on July 12 2020. Registration will be available here.

Around seven million people in the UK live with heart and circulatory disease and the BHF funds research into these conditions. Find out more about the charity’s work here.