Oxford will host a vibrant celebration for World Heart Day on Sunday 28 September 2025, as the Heart of Oxford Business Board brings a fun-packed, family-friendly charity event to Westgate Shopping Centre.
Running from 11.00am to 5.00pm in Leiden Square (outside John Lewis), the event aims to raise vital funds for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) while offering engaging activities for all ages.
Highlights include a cycling competition, children’s colouring contest, a raffle with prizes donated by local businesses, and a lunchtime performance by the Oxford Gospel Choir.
Visitors can also take part in 15-minute RevivR CPR training sessions at 11.30am, 1.30pm and 2.30pm, or contribute to the Oxford Heart Survey, a new research initiative. An “Art with Heart” exhibition will showcase artwork inspired by scientific research into heart health.
A generous selection of raffle prizes has been donated by local businesses including Nuffield Health, Hotel Chocolat, Boots, Curzon Cinema, Blue Diamond Garden Centres, Bradbeers, Black Bottle Distillery, Tesco and Lush.
The event is being organised by the Heart of Oxford Business Board, part of a growing network of BHF Business Boards across the UK. These boards bring together local businesses and communities to raise funds and awareness, supporting the charity’s mission of creating a world free from heart and circulatory diseases.
Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation, emphasised the importance of raising awareness of cardiovascular health through accessible, community-driven initiatives.
The British Heart Foundation, the UK’s largest independent funder of research into heart and circulatory diseases, invests around £100 million annually.
In Oxfordshire alone, BHF is currently funding over £95 million of research across 83 projects, from 3D printed hearts and internal defibrillators to breakthroughs in regenerative medicine.
The Heart of Oxford Business Board said:
“This initiative is about more than fundraising – it’s about engaging people of all ages in heart health awareness while supporting groundbreaking research taking place right here in Oxford.”
With music, competitions, hands-on learning and a cause that touches every family, the Westgate charity fun day promises to be both inspiring and entertaining.
