Welsh heart charity Calon Hearts has been recognised for its commitment to protecting lives, winning Most Dedicated Heart Screening Charity 2026 at the SME News Welsh Enterprise Awards.
The award recognises the charity's dedication to providing heart screening and raising awareness of potentially life-threatening heart conditions across Wales.
Established in 2012, Calon Hearts works to prevent avoidable deaths from heart conditions through heart screening, CPR training and the provision of defibrillators.
To date, the charity has screened more than 38,000 people, trained over 605,000 people in CPR and helped place more than 37,000 defibrillators in communities.
Its heart screening programme provides free screening for people under 27, alongside subsidised screening for adults aged 27 and over, helping identify potentially serious heart conditions that may otherwise go undetected.
During 2025/26 alone, 118 people were referred for further medical investigation following their screening.
Sharon Owen, CEO of Calon Hearts, said:
"We're absolutely delighted to receive this award. It's wonderful recognition of the hard work and dedication that goes into delivering our heart screening programme and helping people across Wales take care of their heart health.
"We know that heart conditions can affect anyone, often without any warning signs, which is why making screening accessible is so important.
"Every screening event takes a huge amount of work, from our medical professionals and volunteers to the people and organisations who help us bring these services into their communities.
"This award belongs to everyone who supports Calon Hearts and helps us continue our work. We're incredibly grateful, and it gives us even more determination to reach more people and potentially save more lives."
The SME News Welsh Enterprise Awards celebrate the achievements of organisations across Wales, recognising their contributions and dedication within their respective sectors.
Calon Hearts continues to deliver screening events in communities across Wales, working with local organisations, businesses and supporters to make heart screening more accessible.
