News & Events

Supporting Life-Saving Research with the Great British Bag-Athon
Tuesday 1 October 2013

The Great British Bag-Athon Challenge – the British Heart Foundation’s annual campaign to raise funds for their vital research – was launched at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London on Saturday 17 August 2013 and continued till the end of September. 

Running since 2009, this hugely successful campaign is “fundraising with a difference”. As the British Heart Foundation (BHF) explains: “We don’t want your money, but we can use everything from a woolly hat to a wardrobe in our fight for every heartbeat.” 

Every bag filled with unwanted things could raise £20 towards life-saving research to help combat coronary heart disease – still the UK’s single biggest killer. 

This year, a record 1.1 million bags were collected across the country. 

At the Mandir, worshippers and visitors donated a remarkable 495 bags – the second highest total by any group in the country. The collection could be worth up to £10,000 in funds. 

Organised by BAPS Charities, the campaign follows several previous collaborations with the BHF, including a nationwide sponsored walk in 2007 and the many on-going awareness and training sessions, most recently for the provision of emergency life support training

Dr Mayank Shah from BAPS Charities shared, “BAPS Charities is proud to continue our longstanding partnership with the British Heart Foundation and help them raise funds for the great work that they do. The Mandir was the perfect place to do this, because the worshippers here are so inspired by the message of Pramukh Swami Maharaj to serve those who are ill and less fortunate than us. We hope the bags we have collected can make a real difference in saving and improving lives.” 

To learn more about The Great British Bag-athon and the work of the British Heart Foundation, please follow the respective links. 

Disclaimer: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.