Southampton-based cardiac charity Heartbeat, formerly Wessex Heartbeat, held its annual ‘Beef & Bid’ Autumn Ball at the Leonardo Royal Grand Harbour Hotel on Saturday, 9th November, raising over £45,000 before costs, thanks to the generosity of guests and supporters, including sponsors Barratt Redrow Southern Division and Storage on Site (S.O.S.).
The event marked the 20th year of the ‘Beef & Bid’ Ball and the charity celebrated by announcing its first-ever mass participation event with an ambitious target to raise more than £100,000 towards the renovation of the Heart Failure Unit based in the Wessex Cardiac Unit at University Hospital Southampton. The funds will allow the unit to continue to strengthen its status as a UK centre of excellence for cardiac care, with the ambition also of having the leading Heart Failure Unit in the country.
The event, named ‘Heart & Stroll’, will be taking place on Sunday 29th June 2025 and will see supporters from across the Southampton community and its surrounds, joining together to walk up to 5K or more, around the beautiful setting of Southampton Common to raise money for the development of the Heart Failure Unit; it is hoped that between 1,000 and 2,000 people will participate.
What makes this event so unique, is that not only are Heartbeat promoting that a walk or a stroll can help maintain or slowly improve your heart health, but it is also bringing the local community together to have fun and support its local hospital’s cardiac unit. Heart failure can affect anyone, so one never knows when support from the Unit might be needed.
The "Heart & Stroll" event was created by Heartbeat CEO Mark Ind, inspired by his personal connection to heart health—his son, Alex, now 26, was born with a congenital heart condition and has since faced four major open-heart surgeries. Mark said: “Heart & Stroll is just that. We want people to focus on and think about how they can look after their heart by taking part in this gentle exercise. At the same time, we want to give them the space to think about loved ones affected by heart disease. It’s a fantastic way to raise money for the cardiac unit while having a lot of fun in the process.”
The University Hospital Southampton’s Heart Failure Unit is already one of the best facilities of its kind in the UK and was specifically set up to look after patients suffering from heart failure. With the Wessex Cardiac Unit’s further ambitions for development, Heartbeat’s fundraising goal could make a real impact on how heart failure patients are treated.
Dr Paul Haydock, Clinical Lead for Heart Failure at the University Hospital Southampton, who spoke at the ‘Beef & Bid Ball, commented: “We are so lucky to have Heartbeat supporting us. Ours is one of the largest and most reputable centres in the UK, performing around 1,600 operations a year. We're the best performing centre in the country, serving 3.5 million people along the south coast and the Channel Islands.
“We have four dedicated cardiac theatres, a 16-bed specialist cardiac intensive care unit, cardiac high dependency and three cardiac wards. The money could really help with the patients experience while in the unit, many of these patients are with us for a minimum of 10 days, we can look after them using the latest technology as well as ensuring they are then equipped at managing their prognosis after they leave us.”
“We’re really pleased to see the ‘Heart & Stroll’ event taking shape, as even gentle exercise has such a positive impact on heart health, and we’d also like to incorporate some outside space at the unit, to encourage heart failure patients to take up gentle exercise.”
Heart transplant patient and Heartbeat Trustee, Robbie Burns, also spoke movingly at the Ball about his own traumatic experience but explained how walking aided his recovery. He will be taking part in ‘Heart & Stroll’ almost five years to the day since his life-changing transplant operation.
The ‘Beef and Bid’ Ball, hosted by comedian and entertainer Aaron James, saw more than 300 guests come together to enjoy an evening of fabulous entertainment with The Deloreons band, live and silent auctions, a raffle and games, plus a sumptuous three-course dinner with plenty of wine!
Highlights of the auction included unique experiences such as a round of golf with legendary ex-Saints footballers James Beattie, a patron of Heartbeat, and Paul Jones, tickets for ELO’s very last concert in Hyde Park and overnight stays in some of London’s top hotels – there was even an opportunity to bid for a place in the 2026 London Marathon and raise money for Heartbeat.
The fundraising event was started in 2003 by Mark Ind, before he became CEO of Heartbeat in February 2023, and he was inspired to continue doing the event over the years by, amongst others, two families who had lost young children to serious heart defects, who were remembered on the night. Over the past 20 years ‘Beef & Bid’ has raised many thousands of pounds for both Heartbeat and the Wessex Cardiac Unit to support infants, young children and adults with serious cardiac conditions, as well as their families.
Mark said: "I'm always quite overwhelmed and so grateful for people's desire to come along and be involved, and I’m blown away by their generosity."
The funds raised over the years have contributed not just to research and specific projects but also to supporting Heartbeat House, a facility run by the charity that provides accommodation for the families and relatives of patients undergoing serious heart surgery or interventions at the Wessex Cardiac Unit.
Heartbeat is transforming lives across all ages for those diagnosed with congenital and cardiovascular disease, fuelling pioneering advancements at the Wessex Cardiac Unit, University Hospital Southampton. Through cutting-edge equipment, specialised training, and innovative projects, Heartbeat is leading the charge to improve heart health in remarkable ways.
The main sponsor for the ‘Beef & Bid’ Ball was leading housebuilder Barratt Redrow Southampton Division. Tammy Bishop, Barratt Homes Sales Director, mentioned: “We’re always delighted to show our support for organisations who need it in the communities where we’re building, and we’re thrilled to be supporting Heartbeat’s special fundraising ball.”
“The charity is a huge support to heart patients and their families across the region, and it’s great to hear how much money was raised this evening.”
To learn more about the inspiring ‘Heart & Stroll’ event, for which Barratt Redrow Southampton Division are also the headline sponsor, or to participate in this unforgettable community experience, visit https://www.heartbeat.co.uk/events/heart-and-stroll-2025 !
Businesses looking to make a powerful impact still have time to sponsor. For sponsorship opportunities, reach out to Tanya Harder, Project Lead, at tanya@heartbeat.org.uk or give her a call at 02380 706096.
