February Heart Month 2026
The origins of Heart Month
Heart Month started in the United States on the 30 December of 1963. In the UK, the British Heart Foundation adopted February as National Heart Month, using it as an annual platform to raise funds for research, promote CPR education, and encourage heart-healthy lifestyles. The 2026 campaign theme is 'Walk for Hearts', inviting people to walk 28, 50, or 100 miles throughout February.
Heart disease in the UK
Cardiovascular disease covers conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and atrial fibrillation. Cardiovascular disease remains one of the biggest health challenges facing the UK today. 7.6 million people in the UK are living with heart or circulatory disease. Cardiovascular disease causes a quarter of all deaths in the UK which means one person every three minutes. Roughly 200‘000 people receive a new heart failure diagnosis in the UK every year. Additionally, there are 100‘000 strokes in the UK every year.
To learn more about heart disease in the UK, see this link.
What can you do to help?
One of the important messages of Heart Month is knowing the warning signs of a heart attack. Symptoms can vary significantly from person to person, and they do not always feel severe, which leads many people to delay getting help. The NHS found that nearly half of adults in England did not feel confident they could recognise the signs of a heart attack.
Symptoms of a heart attack
Symptoms of a heart attack can include:
- chest pain – a feeling of pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across your chest
- pain in other parts of the body – it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms (usually the left arm, but it can affect both arms), jaw, neck, back and tummy
- feeling lightheaded or dizzy
- sweating
- shortness of breath
- feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
- an overwhelming feeling of anxiety (similar to a panic attack)
- coughing or wheezing
The chest pain is often severe, but some people may only experience minor pain, similar to indigestion.
Call 999 immediately if you think someone might be having a heart attack. The faster you act, the better their chances.
To learn more about these symptoms, click here.
The British Heart Foundation offers a free 15-minute online CPR training tool called RevivR. Learning CPR can double a person's chance of survival. The British Heart Foundation also recruits Community Champion volunteers to support local fundraising events, awareness campaigns, and CPR training sessions. There is also the option to become a community fundraising volunteer by joining or forming a group local to your area, with full support from the British Heart Foundation’s fundraising team.
Local initiatives
Million Hearts and Minds community voice EOI:
A new opportunity through the London Million Hearts & Minds Programme is available in the form of a Community Voice Grant.
The Million Hearts and Minds (MHM) Programme is a London-wide initiative focused on improving cardiovascular health and preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) through partnership, innovation, and community-led approaches.
For more on this and to apply for the grant: see this website.
To find volunteer opportunities near you in London, visit the British Heart Foundation website or search via the Do IT volunteering platform here.
