What Heart Research UK does

Heart Research UK is a UK-registered national charity structured as a company limited by guarantee, founded in 1967 and headquartered at Joseph's Well, Leeds. Its mission is to fund research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart diseases and to deliver community and clinical health programmes that translate that research into patient benefit. The charity serves individual supporters and donors across the United Kingdom, corporate partners, charitable trusts and foundations, healthcare professionals engaged through clinical education, and the general public via community health checks and grants.

The organisation operates a diversified portfolio spanning research funding (medical research grants and EXSEL Scholarships, with over £34m invested in heart research over the last decade), clinical education (Masterclasses and Fellowships launched in 2012), community-facing programmes (Healthy Heart Grants reaching 70,000+ lives, Community Health Checks exceeding 1,500 delivered, Corporate Health Checks, Blood Pressure Champions and workplace wellbeing offerings), and awareness campaigns (the HER Disease women's heart health campaign, the Heart of Scotland Appeal, and the annual anonymous heART Project art auction which has raised over £515,000 since 2018). It also distributes an international heart-healthy cookbook and publishes Pulse Magazine.

Heart Research UK receives no statutory government funding. Income is generated through eight principal streams: individual donations (one-off and regular monthly direct debits), legacy bequests (which fund over half of the charity's work), corporate partnerships (Caravan Guard, Beaverbrooks, Arnold Clark, Apollo & Thermocable, Credera, AML Group), trust and foundation grants (totalling over £34m over the last decade), the make a smile lottery (£1 per play, weekly draws, operated via St Helena Hospice), challenge events (London Marathon, Great North Run, Edinburgh Marathon, Kiltwalks and virtual events), art auction proceeds, and merchandise sales via shop.heartresearch.org.uk and an eBay store. The charity operates with 11–50 employees and reports that 71p of every donated pound is directed to charitable activity.

Name

Heart Research UK

Legal name

Heart Research UK

Website

https://heartresearch.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heart Research UK is a UK-registered charity founded in 1967 that funds heart disease research, runs clinical education masterclasses and fellowships, and delivers community health programmes. It serves individual donors, corporate partners, trusts and foundations, and the general UK public, relying entirely on voluntary income.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Research Charity Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF), Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA), Chronic Disease & Health Promotion Program Funding (HLAJALAJ)

Keywords

• Heart disease research
• Cardiovascular health funding
• Medical research charity
• Clinical education training
• Community health grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-off donations, regular monthly gifts, and annual donations from individual supporters. The charity receives no statutory funding and relies heavily on voluntary contributions.
2. Legacy Gifts / Bequests: Over half of the organisation's work is funded by gifts in Wills. Donors can leave percentage, fixed amount, or specific gifts of property, jewellery, shares or artwork.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Bespoke multi-layered partnerships with businesses offering tailored approaches, ESG reporting, employee engagement, and product collaborations. Strategic partners, charity of the year nominations, and team fundraising are all offered.
4. Trust and Foundation Grants: Grants from charitable trusts and foundations funding medical research, clinical education, and community health projects. Over the last decade, over £34m has been invested into heart research.
5. Lottery: The make a smile lottery costs £1 per play with weekly draws offering prizes up to £1,000 plus a rollover up to £25,000. Monthly subscriptions and single ticket options available.
6. Events and Challenge Activities: Fundraising through marathons, skydives, swimming challenges, walking challenges, and other athletic events. Charity places in events like London Marathon, Great North Run, and Edinburgh Marathon.
7. Art Sales and Auctions: The anonymous heART project auction featuring artwork from celebrities and artists, raising over £515,000 since 2018. Special edition prints also sold through eBay shop.
8. Online Shop: Sale of merchandise including T-shirts, bags, pin badges, and Christopher Kane designer products. Shop at shop.heartresearch.org.uk.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Heart Research UK funds pioneering medical research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart diseases, provides clinical education through Masterclasses and Fellowships for surgeons and clinicians, and delivers community health programmes including health checks and Healthy Heart Grants. It raises voluntary income through individual donations, legacies, corporate partnerships, trust and foundation grants, a weekly lottery, fundraising events, an annual art auction, and a merchandise shop, with no statutory government funding.

Product overview

Heart Research UK operates as a charitable organization offering a comprehensive suite of fundraising products, health services, and educational programs unified by a mission to eliminate deaths from heart diseases. The portfolio spans donation mechanisms (one-off gifts, regular/monthly donations, in-memory donations, and legacy gifts through wills), fundraising events (marathons, virtual challenges, and community walks), corporate and trust partnerships, and lottery-based fundraising (make a smile lottery). Health-focused offerings include community health checks, corporate health programs, healthy heart grants, and clinical education through masterclasses and fellowships. The organization also runs awareness campaigns including the anonymous heART Project art auction, HER Disease campaign for women's heart health, and the Heart of Scotland Appeal. All offerings interconnect through the core mission of funding medical research while providing immediate community health interventions and professional training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• One-off Donation A single monetary gift from individuals that funds vital medical research, community heart health projects, and lifesaving clinical training. Donors can give any amount as a one-off payment via the website.
• Regular / Monthly Donation Recurring monthly gifts that consistently fund life-saving medical research, educate and support local communities, and train heart surgeons in life-saving techniques. Supporters choose their own monthly amount.
• In-Memory Donation Donations made in memory of a loved one, including funeral collections and tribute pages for celebrating lives affected by heart diseases.
• Gift in Wills (Legacy Giving) Legacy gifts left in wills that fund pioneering research projects, accessible education programmes, and vital community work. Over half of the organization's work is funded by these gifts. Donors can leave a percentage, fixed amount, or specific gifts of property, jewellery, shares or artwork.
• Fundraising Events and Challenges Fundraising through marathons, skydives, swimming challenges, walking challenges, and other athletic events. Charity places available for TCS London Marathon, Great North Run, Edinburgh Marathon, Brighton Marathon, Kiltwalks and virtual challenges.
• Corporate Partnerships Bespoke multi-layered partnerships for businesses offering ESG benefits, employee engagement, media coverage, charity of the year nominations, product collaborations, and team fundraising. Partners include Caravan Guard, Beaverbrooks, Arnold Clark, Apollo & Thermocable, Credera and AML Group.
• Trusts and Foundations Partnerships Partnerships with charitable trusts and foundations to fund life-saving work through significant gifts, supporting prevention, treatment, and cure of heart diseases. Over £34m has been invested into heart research over the last decade.
• Medical Research Grants Funding for world-class medical research focused on preventing, treating, and curing heart diseases. Over £34 million invested in research over the last decade through the Association of Medical Research Charities.
• Healthy Heart Grants Community grants supporting heart health projects that have positively impacted over 70,000 lives, helping those most at risk of heart diseases. The scheme was launched in 2001.
• Community Health Checks Free health checks delivered across the UK measuring blood pressure, cholesterol, and body composition to identify heart disease risks early. Over 1,500 checks delivered.
• Corporate Health Checks and Blood Pressure Champions Workplace health programmes including Corporate Health Checks and Blood Pressure Champions to improve employee wellbeing for corporate partners.
• Masterclasses Clinical education programmes providing cutting-edge training for clinicians and surgeons from world-renowned experts, enabling more heart patients across the UK to benefit from advances in surgery and care. Launched in 2012.
• Fellowships Clinical education fellowships supporting health professionals in gaining skills to diagnose and treat heart conditions.
• Make a Smile Lottery Weekly fundraising lottery costing £1 per play with 282 guaranteed cash prizes, including a £1,000 prize and rollover jackpots up to £25,000. Monthly subscriptions cost £5/£10/£15 for 1/2/3 numbers per week; quarterly, half-yearly and annual subscriptions are also available. Operated by St Helena Hospice.
• Online Shop E-commerce store selling merchandise including T-shirts, bags, pin badges, Christopher Kane designer items, and special edition art prints to support heart research.
• Patient and Public Network Volunteer network for heart patients and loved ones to shape research, influence strategies, share stories, and help identify priorities for people with heart conditions.
• Heart of Scotland Appeal Scotland-specific appeal raising money in Scotland to be spent in Scotland on cardiovascular disease research and community health checks. Launched in 2019.
• HER Disease Campaign Awareness campaign addressing the misconception that heart disease primarily affects men, tackling the gender gap in heart healthcare and improving awareness of risk factors for women.
• Anonymous heART Project Annual art auction featuring anonymous artworks from renowned artists, musicians, and celebrities, raising funds for heart research. Has raised over £515,000 since its launch in 2018 with over 3,500 pieces of art created by anonymous artists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Heart diseases claim 103,728 deaths per year in the UK (2022)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Apollo & ThermocableminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate partner displaying their logo on the Heart Research UK partner page. Partnership details not publicly specified beyond general corporate partnership arrangements.
• BeaverbrooksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate partner displaying their logo on the Heart Research UK partner page. Partnership details not publicly specified beyond general corporate partnership arrangements.
• CrederaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate partner displaying their logo on the Heart Research UK partner page. Partnership details not publicly specified beyond general corporate partnership arrangements.
• Caravan GuardcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing corporate partner specialising in leisure insurance. Has raised over £110,000 for Heart Research UK's pioneering research over multiple years, including breaking a fundraising record with over £20,000 raised in 2020.
• Arnold ClarkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner displaying their logo on the Heart Research UK partner page. Partnership details not publicly specified beyond general partnership arrangements.
• AML GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner displaying their logo on the Heart Research UK partner page, specifically associated with Aortic Dissection Awareness. Partnership details not publicly specified beyond general partnership arrangements.
• CaravanguardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner displaying their logo on the Heart Research UK partner page. Partnership details not publicly specified beyond general partnership arrangements.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• British Heart Foundation: The dominant UK heart-disease charity, the most direct competitor. Both fund cardiovascular research, run community health programs, and compete for the same individual, corporate, and legacy donor pool. BHF operates at a far larger scale, with thousands of retail shops.
• Stroke Association: UK charity focused on stroke and cardiovascular conditions. Competes with Heart Research UK in the broader cardiovascular funding and awareness space, and shares a similar mid-sized UK charity structure with research, prevention, and support programs.
• Alzheimer's Research UK: UK charity funding dementia research. Highly comparable funding model, donor base profile, and AMRC peer-reviewed research governance, providing a near-twin structure for benchmarking fundraising efficiency and research spend.
• Cancer Research UK: The UK's largest dedicated disease research charity. Operates a similar model of funding peer-reviewed research, legacy giving, retail income, and major donor programs. A direct comparator for AMRC membership, cost efficiency, and donor acquisition at scale.
• Blood Cancer UK: UK charity funding research into blood cancer. Comparable mid-sized UK disease research charity with a focus on research grantmaking, legacies, and community engagement, often cited as a peer benchmark for the segment.
• Versus Arthritis: UK charity funding research into arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions. Comparable in size and operational model to Heart Research UK, with similar reliance on legacies, individual giving, and AMRC-accredited research funding.
• Diabetes UK: UK charity funding research into diabetes and supporting people with the condition. Comparable structure: research funding, community health programs, individual giving, and corporate partnerships, with overlapping cardiovascular comorbidity focus.

Broad incumbents

• Wellcome Trust: The UK's largest independent charitable foundation, with a much broader biomedical research funding remit. While not a heart-specific peer, it is the dominant funder of UK medical research and a relevant incumbent for understanding the broader research funding landscape.
• Medical Research Council: UK government-funded body supporting medical research across all conditions. As the largest public funder of cardiovascular research in the UK, it sets the research funding context in which Heart Research UK operates and is a key counterpart for co-funding arrangements.

Emerging players

• Royal Society for Public Health: UK body promoting public health through workforce training, accreditation, and advocacy. Overlaps with Heart Research UK's community health checks, healthy heart grants, and workplace health programs, but operates as a broader public health membership organization rather than a research funder.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/heartresearchuk
• Facebookfacebook.com/heartresearchuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heartresearchuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heart Research UK