The Miles Frost Fund, in association with the British Heart Foundation, has been appointed Charity of the Year for the 2019 Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 and the sons of the late Sir David Frost will be riding to raise vital funds in memory of their brother Miles, who died of an undiagnosed heart condition in 2015.
The partnership will see the UK’s most popular sportive bike ride work with the Miles Frost Fund, in association with the British Heart Foundation (BHF), to raise money to fund research into deadly inherited heart conditions.
To mark the announcement, Wilf and George Frost geared up and took to the capital on their bikes. They will join hundreds of BHF cyclists who will take on the challenge of riding 100 miles through London and Surrey on 4 August 2019.
The Miles Frost Fund was set up in association with the BHF in February 2016 in memory of Miles Frost, who died of an inherited heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) while jogging near his family home in July 2015.
The Fund has already raised £1.5 million, which has established 13 specialist inherited cardiac condition clinics across the UK to run genetic testing for families affected by inherited heart conditions. More than 270 people have received testing through the services from October 2017 to March 2018, with 20 already testing positive for the gene that could cause HCM.
The money raised from the partnership with the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 will further this work by funding vital research in to improving the diagnosis and treatment of deadly inherited heart conditions, including HCM.
The BHF estimates 620,000 people across the UK are living with a faulty gene that puts them at risk of life-threatening inherited heart conditions. These conditions often have no symptoms but can cause a cardiac arrest without warning. Genetic testing is available to help diagnose many of these conditions, but it’s not available consistently across the UK.
The Miles Frost Fund aims to ensure genetic testing is available to every family affected in the UK and to improve treatments through research.
Wilf Frost said: “Our partnership with the British Heart Foundation has helped the Miles Frost Fund make a real difference in saving and improving the lives of families affected by inherited heart conditions.
“August 2019, the month where we will take on this incredible challenge, will mark four years without Miles. It will be tiring and challenging, but Miles would be so pleased with what we have already achieved in his name through The Miles Frost Fund. Miles would be so very proud that we are continuing our fight by becoming the Charity of the Year for 2019’s Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100.”
Simon Gillespie, Chief Executive at the BHF, added: “Our researchers have been at the forefront of breakthroughs that mean we can now identify people at risk of many inherited heart conditions, including HCM. This fantastic partnership with the Miles Frost Fund and the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 will mean we can continue to fund this research, with the potential to save more lives.
“But Wilf and George need your help. Without the dedication and commitment of our supporters, who take on challenges like the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100, we wouldn’t be able to fund research that has broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed the lives of millions of people in the UK. Join them in their mission to keep more families together by signing up to this iconic event next August.”
Sign up to take part in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 for the Miles Frost Fund by visiting bhf.org.uk/ridelondon2019
