LOCAL charity Cornelly Development Trust has received a grant from Heart Research UK to reduce the risk of heart disease in North Cornelly.
The grant is part of Heart Research UK’s Healthy Heart Grants that are awarded each year to new projects working with adults with the aim to reduce the risk of heart disease in their community.
Cardiovascular disease is one of the world’s biggest killers, and the Healthy Heart Grants aim to work preventatively within communities that may be marginalised or not have much access to health resources.
The South of Wales has one of the highest rates of death of cardiovascular disease in the UK.
Participants in the new project will get to take part in cooking workshops, where aside from cooking from scratch they will also learn about healthy swaps and cooking on a budget. The group will also have access to an outdoor space where they will build an allotment and plant vegetables. These will be used in the cooking workshops and used for the wider benefit of the community. There will also be general health workshops on topics like smoking cessation and physical activity.
For the last 17 years, Cornelly Development Trust has been working at the heart of the community. It was originally created by local residents to combat rising unemployment and general poverty and deprivation within the area.
Adrian Morgan, CEO of Cornelly Development Trust, said: “We also found that heart disease and ill health add to the issues preventing local residents from improving their economic situation, and since we work in one of the top 20% most deprived areas in Wales, this is something we wanted to focus on.
“We are so grateful for the funding support we have received from Heart Research UK as it gives us the opportunity to teach growing fruit and vegetables and use them to prepare healthy food options while raising awareness of general heart health.”
Since 2001, Heart Research UK has awarded over 300 community grants, directly benefiting the hearts of over 70,000 individuals and countless wider community and family members across all regions of the UK.
Kate Bratt-Farrar, Chief Executive at Heart Research UK, said: “We know how challenging it can be to try and change your life for the better when it comes to things like eating and exercising. Through our Healthy Heart Grants we’ve seen what a massive impact grassroot community projects can have in providing resources, knowledge and tools and motivating people to look after their hearts.
“We’re pleased to be awarding one of this year’s grants to Cornelly Development Trust and we look forward to seeing the results and the impact they have.”
