27 Oct 2025 Guest blog: Improving Heart Health Across Lancashire: The Healthy Hearts Campaign
In our latest guest blog, we hear from Alison Whittaker-Stewart, Physical Activity Campaigns Lead for Together an Active Future, about the Healthy Hearts campaign which aims to raise awareness of heart health, promote physical activity, and inspire others through real-life stories from Lancashire residents living with heart conditions.
Together an Active Future (TaAF), a Sport England Place-Based partner, is working collaboratively with Lancashire County Council and Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) to tackle one of the county’s most pressing health challenges—cardiovascular disease. Improving residents heart health is a strategic priority for both organisations.
Building on the success of the ‘We Are Undefeatable in Blackburn with Darwen’ campaign, this new initiative is supported by the national We Are Undefeatable team and brings together partners with shared goals, including the British Heart Foundation and North-West charity ‘Heartbeat’. The campaign aims to raise awareness of heart health and promote the importance physical activity can play for prevention and recovery.
The Healthy Hearts campaign features real-life stories of ten Lancashire residents living with various heart conditions. These individuals share how incorporating physical activity into their lives has improved not only their physical health but also their mental well-being. Their experiences offer inspiration to others facing similar challenges.
While the campaign is relevant across Lancashire, it focuses on districts where premature mortality from cardiovascular disease is significantly higher than the national English average. These areas, as listed on the Lancashire County Council website, include Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Lancaster and Morecambe, Pendle, Preston, Rossendale, and West Lancashire.
Using public health data to guide its strategy, the campaign adopts a targeted multi-channel approach. Through social media, digital marketing, out-of-home advertising, and direct mail, it aims to reach communities most affected by health inequalities. The campaign also aligns with national awareness events includes ‘Know Your Numbers Week’ and ‘World Heart Day’.
Although the primary audience is people aged 40 years old and over who are living with or at risk of developing heart conditions, the campaign lead, Alison Whittaker-Stewart, believes the messages are relevant to all and shares a personal connection to the cause: “As a Lancashire resident who has experienced the devastating impact of losing my dad to a heart attack, this campaign is far more than just a job for me.”
The storytellers featured in the campaign described a range of symptoms prior to their diagnosis. Some felt breathless or experienced indigestion-like discomfort, while others, like Nick, reported prolonged lethargy. In several cases, symptoms escalated rapidly. John experienced jaw pain, whilst Janet and Ken felt chest pains – they recognised the symptoms and sought medical advice promptly. For Angela and Craig, it was the concern of others that led them to seek help.
Following their diagnoses, each storyteller found ways to improve their health through physical activity that suited their lifestyle and interests. Most expressed how valuable it was to learn from others with similar experiences. If you know someone living with a heart condition, please share our campaign stories with them.
To read the stories and access resources, visit: https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/campaigns/healthy-hearts/
To encourage wider engagement and make it easy for organisations to share the message, the campaign has created a downloadable campaign pack which includes a suggested social media content plan, images and assets tailored for various channels. Download it here.
Author Bio:
Alison Whittaker-Stewart is the Physical Activity Campaigns Lead for Together an Active Future, one of Sport England’s Place based partners, covering Pennine Lancashire.
Contact – Alison.whittaker-Stewart@blackburn.gov.uk
Linked In – https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-whittaker-stewart-mcim-b92b3223/
