National Grief Awareness Week is observed this week (2-8 December) and leading local health charity, Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS), is using this week to raise awareness of grief, encourage people to talk about it, and highlight there is help and support available for those who need it.

When Kurtis sadly passed away, his colleagues wanted to do something to create a positive legacy for their friend. They restarted the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Football Club, which had disbanded in 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in Kurtis’ memory and decided to support Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS) as their charity partner.

Aaron Brown sadly lost his brother to a heart attack, and around the same time, saw his mum battle through two heart attacks and a stroke. Despite going through such a difficult time, Aaron wanted to do something positive to help others affected by these illnesses and fundraised for NICHS.

Alice Cinnamond, from Belfast, had a sudden stroke at just 29 years old and she is speaking out to raise awareness that stroke is not something that only affects older people, it can happen to anyone, at any age. 

Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke welcomed the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, in Parliament on Tuesday 5 November 2024.

We currently have £1.2 million invested in live research, and last year, your donations made it possible for us to fund four new studies looking at improving stroke recovery, establishing new treatments for respiratory illness, and supporting families affected by Congenital Heart Disease.