HeartWell ‐ healthy alliances in action

Describes the steps taken to develop the national award‐winning community‐based project. HeartWell is built on the formation of alliances and commitment of key players from health, local government and voluntary organizations. The whole project was developed as a result of, and in response to, local coronary heart disease (CHD) research which identifies the health authority covered as having one of the highest mortality rates from CHD in England. Some of the food‐related projects are described to highlight the significance of food in relation to promoting positive heart health at a community‐based level. Utilizes qualitative and quantitative data in the evaluation of process and intermediate outcomes of the project, a key focus being the effectiveness of alliance partnerships and community involvement in the successful delivery of health initiatives.