Charity champions’ work nominated in British Heart Foundation ‘innovative fundraiser’ hero awards as voting opens

Sergeant Chris Harris, 36, is up for a British Heart Foundation Heart Hero Award in the innovative fundraiser category.

Chris was nominated in recognition of a fundraising event he organised following the death of his friend and fellow servicemen, Iain Ferguson, who died from a heart condition at the age of 49.

Both men were members of the Royal Marines band.

Chris said: ‘When Iain passed, we immediately wanted to do something in his memory, but we couldn’t get together as a band due to the pandemic. So, we came up with the idea of Fifty for Fergie where we asked all our musicians to come up with their own event with the aim of raising £50.’

Members of the five Royal Marines bands took on 50-themed challenges to coincide with what would have been Ian’s 50th birthday, raising more than £6,000.

Chris added: ‘Iain’s death was a tragedy but hopefully we’ve done something positive in his memory.

‘We also hope it will help his family who will be able to look back and see that a legacy came out of Fergie’s passing.’

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A Waterlooville family has also been nominated in the same category of the BHF Heart Hero Awards, for which voting is now open.

Sisters Lucy and Katie Gumbrell, together with their brother Mackenzie and cousin, Jonny Spade, were put forward for their efforts raising funds in memory of their brother and cousin, Callum, who died from a heart condition a week after he was born in November 1990.

To mark what would have been Callum’s 30th birthday, the group organised a 30-mile walk from Waterlooville to Portsmouth and back home, raising more than £4,300 for BHF.

Callum’s mother Julie Gumbrell said: ‘Callum was our first-born son. Although our children and Jonny never knew him, they have always known about him.

‘I have always been incredibly proud of our children and nephew, but I can’t begin to describe how utterly amazing I think they all are. Their kindness, dedication, and determination to complete this walk in the dark, cold and wet was wonderful.’

Voting in the innovative fundraiser category will be open until August 6.

To vote, visit bhf.org.uk/heartheroes.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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