Santas skip to the beat for heart fund (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Students in fancy dress conga around the Girls' Grammar School, Bradford

5:16pm Monday 14th December 2009 in News By Claire Lomax

Christmas arrived early at The Girls’ Grammar School, Bradford, today as students got in to the festive spirit by dressing as Santa for a charity conga.

The girls swapped their uniforms for the Santa outfits to perform the dance around the school to raise money for the British Heart Foundation’s Beating Hearts in Bradford Appeal.

They were joined by staff from the cardiology department at Bradford Royal Infirmary, including consultant cardiologist Dr Sudantha Bulugahapitiya.

The appeal has the aim of raising £105,000 to fund a 3-D echocardiograph machine for Bradford Royal Infirmary and is backed by the Telegraph & Argus.

The machine will be a new piece of equipment for the hospital and will enable patients to have a specialised test which looks at the structure of the heart.

A probe is placed on the chest and high-frequency sound waves are passed through the skin.

These are reflected off the heart and produce an image on the screen in 3D, giving detailed information about the structure, valves and pumping action of the heart, helping doctors make more informed and speedier diagnoses.

Sue Green, Beating Hearts in Bradford Appeal manager at the British Heart Foundation, who provided the Santa outfits, said: “I would like to thank the girls’ grammar school for getting into the festive spirit and supporting the appeal in this way.

“The conga started in the atrium and the girls visited the nursery children who were mesmerised by all the Santas!

“Whilst having fun at the same time it’s great that the girls have got behind the appeal, which has raised £55,000 to date.”

The school has also pledged to continue to support the appeal throughout January and February, national heart month.

Staff from the cardiology department have offered to visit the school in Squire Lane, Bradford, to take part in special assemblies, to raise awareness of the heart and the work of the British Heart Foundation.

Sue said: “This machine will be of unquestionable benefit to the patients at the Bradford Royal Infirmary Cardiology Department.”

For further information, contact Sue Green on (01274) 548324 or 07714 069120, e-mail greens@ bhf. org. uk or visit bhf. org. uk/bradfordappeal e-mail: claire.lomax@telegraphandargus.co.uk