TWO veteran fundraisers have been honoured by the British Heart Foundation for dedicating more than 40 years to the charity.

Dot Ings and Roy Brookman, who helped set up the Chippenham and District fundraising branch of the charity, received an award last Thursday from chief executive Simon Gillespie and Professor Gianni Angelini for outstanding contribution.

The pair, who are now in their eighties, have raised over £400,000 for the charity's research into heart disease.

Mrs Ings said: “All of the money we’ve raised has gone to fund research to find new treatments and cures for heart disease. I have always enjoyed volunteering and feel that the BHF has made all the effort worthwhile with their fantastic research. “

Mr Gillespie added: “Forty years ago, when Roy and Dot started volunteering, the fight against heart disease looked very different.

“We’d only just proven that heart attacks were caused by blood clots and the life-saving treatments we take for granted today simply didn’t exist. But because of their dedication and that of our many other volunteers and supporters, BHF research has helped transform how we treat heart and circulatory conditions.

“The future holds new challenges, and conditions like heart failure still take a huge toll on families across the UK. However, with the public’s support we will continue to strive for new and even more exciting scientific breakthroughs.“