Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon lights up red for NI Chest Heart & Stroke

The Red Dress Fun Run, supported by MACE and Musgrave Marketplace, is the charity’s five kilometre run or walk event taking place on February 25 at Stormont Estate, Belfast, which aims to raise funds and awareness for heart illness.

The event coincides with National Heart Month in February, when NICHS will be encouraging people to think about their cardiovascular health and the steps they can take towards a healthier, stronger heart, such as eating healthily and getting active.

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council will be showing support for the charity by lighting up several landmark buildings in red, NICHS’s branded colour, on Thursday, February 1.

Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Council, Alderman Margaret Tinsley, said: “I am pleased that the council is supporting Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke by lighting up its civic buildings red during National Heart Month.

"Sadly, four people here die every day from heart disease, and coronary heart disease is the biggest single cause of premature deaths in the under 75s. It is so important that as a community we raise support and awareness to help reduce these staggering figures.”

Last year the charity hosted their biggest and most successful Red Dress Fun Run to date, raising a staggering £73,000 to help combat heart illness.

Christine Duncan, events and marketing manager at NICHS, is urging the public to sign up to the event.

“We are so grateful for the support of Lord Mayor Alderman Margaret Tinsley as we look forward to this year’s Red Dress Fun Run,” she said.

"Today, as many as 470,000 people in Northern Ireland are living with a chest, heart or stroke condition - many of these people will live in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon area. Please support us by running, walking, dancing, skipping or wheeling 5K with us on Sunday, February 25 at 11am at Stormont Estate, or, if you can’t make the live event, you can do 5K your way any day, or days, in February.

"Everyone is welcome to come along and join in the fun - even the family dog!”

The 2024 event is being supported once again by the charity’s long term corporate partners, MACE and Musgrave MarketPlace.

Diane Anthony from Musgrave said: “MACE and Musgrave MarketPlace are both backing NICHS’s call for people to dress up in red and wear their heart on their sleeve at this year’s event, which is set to be fantastic. Whether you’re taking part in memory of someone you have lost to heart disease, celebrating someone who is living with a heart condition, or to prevent heart disease happening to someone in the future – sign up and join us to support this worthy cause!”

Primary school pupils are also invited to join in by hosting their own fun run anytime this February. Each school that takes part will receive a certificate of thanks to show how much they raised and there is an opportunity to win some fantastic prizes.

If you have been inspired to step up to the challenge, you can sign up to the Red Dress Fun Run at www.nichs.org.uk/RedDressFunRun.

You can find out more about getting your primary school involved at www.nichs.org.uk/PSRedDressFunRun.