Research and Advocacy
At Children’s Heartbeat Trust, our commitment to improving the lives of children and young people with heart conditions extends beyond direct support – we drive meaningful change through pioneering research and evidence-based policy advocacy – across the whole family unit.
Our Work
Our research initiatives span clinical studies, psychosocial interventions, and service development, with projects such as the longitudinal Congenital Heart disease Intervention Programme (CHIP) and mental health measures at our annual residential camp, Summer Blast, demonstrating measurable impact. Collaborating with leading academic institutions and All-Island networks, we support PhD projects, host seminars, and present findings at national conferences to advance paediatric cardiology care. Simultaneously, our policy work amplifies the voices of families, from campaigning for a Young Person’s Fund to address hidden healthcare costs to advocating for standardised Health Play Specialist services across the island of Ireland.
By bridging research and policy, we ensure data translates into tangible improvements in treatment, family support, and systemic equity for children and young people with heart conditions living in Northern Ireland.
We strongly adhere to the view that meaningful research and policy change must be shaped by the voices of those we serve. Our families are our experts. That’s why Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) is at the heart of everything we do—ensuring children with heart conditions, their families, and caregivers directly influence our work. We are very proud to be leaders in this respect and we celebrate that all of our research and policy work is codesigned by service users.
Get involved
Make a difference in the lives of heart families! Whether you’d like to fundraise, volunteer, or become a corporate partner, there are so many ways to get involved with Children’s Heartbeat Trust.
News and community
Stay connected with everything happening at Children’s Heartbeat Trust—from heart families’ inspiring stories to updates on our programmes and upcoming events.