A DUNFERMLINE woman who was diagnosed with a heart condition at the age of 10 is encouraging others to join her to help raise money for charity.

Gaynor Williamson is part of a new fundraising group for the British Heart Foundation Scotland and is hoping others will join her to help beat heart disease.

For her, the cause is certainly one close to her heart.

“I have always been amazingly grateful for the support and care my family and I have received from the NHS and the British Heart Foundation and began fundraising for the BHF as a ‘thank you’,” she explained.

“I ran the London Marathon for the BHF back in 2005 and since then, my aim has been to raise over £500 a year.

“Being part of the new Dunfermline BHF Fundraising Group is a way to meet new people, make great friends, get involved in your local community and support pioneering research to help better understand and treat heart and circulatory disease – all while having fun!”

Currently there are around 48,500 people across Fife who are fighting a daily battle with heart and circulatory diseases and these devastating conditions claim the lives of more than 1,060 people in the area each year.

The new fundraising group had its inaugural get-together last weekend and is planning a launch meeting in March.

‘‘We have a new group leader, Aimee, and we would love more people to get involved to help raise money for this fantastic charity,” added Gaynor.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting other people who are passionate about the work of the BHF or may have been personally impacted by heart and circulatory disease themselves.”

BHF Scotland’s Fife fundraising manager, Lisa Robertson, said they were keen for more people to join up.

She said: “Dunfermline is such a wonderful community and we think that the new group is going to fit in perfectly.

“Coronary heart disease is Scotland’s single biggest killer and this is why our fundraising groups are so important. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to carry on funding our lifesaving research.”

Anyone wanting to get involved can contact Lisa on 07920 088318 or by emailing robertsonl@bhf.org.uk.