About us
Heart and circulatory diseases cause more than a quarter of all deaths in the UK, that’s nearly 170,000 deaths each year – an average of 460 deaths each day or one every three minutes in the UK. Cardiac Rehab began in 1976 when a local GP started up specialised exercise classes, in the local Sports Centre, for people with cardiovascular disease. The charity was then formed to raise funds to build our bespoke Cardiac Rehab Centre - the first of it's kind in the UK - which was opened in 1997. The charity offers over 50 hours of exercise classes each week and attracts over 25,000 visits per annum. Cardiac Rehab also operates ‘STAYWELL’, a programme of exercise of 20 sessions for those who are considered at high risk of developing heart disease. Cardiac Rehab receives no funding from local or national government or the NHS and will need an income of £340,000 each year to allow it to continue to deliver and grow the services it offers to those who will benefit most. It is funded in part by exerciser contribution but primarily from the generous support of the general public. The charity also provides facilities for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to run its Phase III cardiac rehabilitation programme, health education classes and clinics.
