News and Events

Arrhythmia Awareness Week (AAAW)

Arrhythmia Awareness Week is a UK national event which gives anyone with an interest in heart rhythm disorders the opportunity to raise awareness and promote better understanding of arrhythmic conditions.

Arrhythmia Awareness Week 7th – 13th June 2010
‘Know Your Pulse’

With over 400 individual supporters and more than 2500 events across the UK, this year’s Arrhythmia Awareness Week 7th – 13th June has proved the most successful awareness event in the charity’s history.  Read more about the highlights from AAAW 2010.

The ‘Know Your Pulse’ campaign (www.knowyourpulse.org) has taken awareness of cardiac arrhythmias to a new level. For months, Arrhythmia Alliance (A-A) has been inundated with medical and public enquiries for materials, including the infamous Pulse Check Card. More than 100,000 Pulse Check Cards were posted to supporters aiming to increase understanding of this simple health check procedure which can help identify potential cardiac arrhythmias.

Events 7th – 13th June

Throughout the week, events took place locally, regionally and nationally by supporting individuals, groups and organisations.

Arrhythmia nurses, GPs and other medical and healthcare professionals took to the streets, supermarkets and schools to run ‘Cardiac Cafés’ and Pulse Check Clinics. Such efforts succeeded in educating members of the public on how to be more in touch with their personal health. Through the impact of such awareness-raising events, tens of thousands of people were reached.

In Birmingham 80+ GP practices and a number of pharmacy shops and urgent care centres received posters pulse check guides, reaching a potential patient population of >440,000 people. Similar PCT wide events were run across Doncaster and Middlesborough.

Pulse Check Clinics were held across the country in places like Liverpool, Blackpool, Dorchester and Leeds. In Bristol arrhythmia nurses from the Bristol Royal Infirmary ran a day at ASDA in Bedminster for pulse checks and across the Black Country Rotary Clubs, the Stroke Association, NHS, ambulance staff and patient and carer support groups offered a range of health checks to members of the public.

Regionally, we were very pleased to receive support from a number of notable premiership and championship football clubs. From the Premiership, Alex Mc Leish of Birmingham City, Sam Allardyce of Blackburn Rovers, Brian Laws of Burnley, Mick McCarthy from Wolverhampton Wanderers and the now former Manager of Liverpool, Rafael Benitez have all given their support to our ‘Know Your Pulse’ campaign.

Meanwhile from the Championship, Nigel Adkins of Scunthorpe Utd, Kevin Blackwell of Sheffield Utd, Paul Mariner from Plymouth Argyle, Billy Davies of Nottingham Forest, Chris Hughton of Newcastle Utd, Sean O'Driscoll of Doncaster Rovers, Alan Irvine of Sheffield Wednesday, Roberto Di Matteo of West Bromwich, Nigel Clough of Derby County and Mark Robins of Barnsley have also backed the initiative.

Individuals supported the campaign by holding displays and distributing literature and posters to schools, GP surgeries, hospitals, medical centres, care homes, work places, and community centres. These local initiatives helped to raise awareness of heart rhythm disorders and the ‘Know Your Pulse’ campaign amongst those with no prior knowledge of cardiac arrhythmias.

Locally, we held a week of events, aimed at making people more ‘pulse aware’. On Monday, we took the ‘Know Your Pulse’ campaign to Shipston High School. Pupils were invited to learn how to take their pulse and charity staff explained the importance of understanding their heart rhythm and how this information could save their lives.
On Tuesday A-A staff offered health checks at the Shipston Leisure Centre and on Wednesday the local George Hotel hosted a fundraising Pub Quiz.

On Thursday 10th June we held a display at Castle Quay Shopping Centre in Banbury and on Friday the week culminated with our flagship event at Banbury Lakeside Superbowl. Members of the A-A team, along with staff from the Superbowl took part in a 24 hour Bowlathon - non-stop bowling through the night! It was a fantastic outcome that we were able to raise a few hundred pounds from the local events during the week.

Local businesses, shops, hospital and medical centre all displayed posters and educational resources to highlight the importance of being pulse aware.

Many people are unaware that pulse checks are an effective method of detecting potential heart rhythm problems early, and in turn improve the chances of swift diagnosis and treatment; and many more are unsure of how to check their pulse correctly, and when pulse rates may need further investigation. The 'Know Your Pulse' campaign aims to address the number of cardiac arrhythmias that lie undetected. This is why Arrhythmia Alliance is working to ensure routine procedural pulse checks in GP surgeries.

How can you get involved?
There is still much to be done!!!

A-A encourages and support national and local groups to execute awareness-raising events under the theme of ‘Know Your Pulse’. Participants are encouraged to hold awareness displays and events, distribute information materials, and participate in lobbying and media activities.

There are many ways in which you can get involved and help raise awareness of ‘Know Your Pulse’
Click here to order your Awareness Pack(s).