A message from 'The Somerville Foundation'.

Victoria works for The Somerville Foundation (the charity for adults who were born with heart conditions) and the Children’s Heart Federation.

This split role focuses on managing volunteers, developing events and support services (such as the helpline) and editing the magazine.

She also works directly with teenagers as they transition from child to adult care, and from childhood into adulthood.


Victoria’s written this article to explain a bit more about these two charities and how they can help you...



Growing up, moving on….there’s a lot of support out there!
Getting to know The Somerville Foundation – we’re here for you

The Somerville Foundation (which used to be called GUCH PA: Grown Up Congenital Heart Patient’s Association), is a charity that supports teenagers and adults who were born with heart conditions. It’s a place for everyone with a heart condition – and can be helpful for parents, friends, carers – even teachers and employers. Everyone who is involved with your life can access information and support from us in various ways.

Get together at our events:

Through events such as weekends away, bowling, karaoke and theatre trips, we encourage our members, their friends and families, to meet and mix and make friends, to offer support to each other and have fun. We also have a conference-style event each year, where medical staff specialising in congenital heart medicine speak and share some of their knowledge and advice on all kinds of issues that can affect a person who is growing up with a congenital heart condition. With members from all around the UK (and some even further a field!), our events are always good fun with an interesting mix of people to get to know.

Get supported with our help services:

If you have any problems, worries or questions about your heart condition, or if you just want someone to talk to about life in general or anything on your mind, you can also use our help services – email or phone.

We have a dedicated support worker called Anne Crump, who is available Weds-Fridays to chat through, in confidence, anything that may be worrying you, and she can provide practical help for relaxing and de-stressing. Anne also works especially with teenagers and young adults, producing events and e-newsletters.

Check out our range of leaflets, covering topics like insurance, pregnancy, contraception, lifestyle issues (sex, piercing, tattoos…), and loads of other areas that may be of interest to you, or crop up as issues at some point growing up.

Get connected with our forums and Facebook:

We have a lively Facebook and Message board, and we’re on Twitter too, so there’s loads of ways you can connect with us and stay up to date with what’s going on. You can meet our members virtually as well, and connect with other young people going through similar things to you.

Get informed and entertained with our magazine:

Our magazine, GUCH News, comes out every 3 months and is packed full of stories from our members, articles from medical staff, information and events news, plus fun competitions and loads more. You can even write for the magazine if you fancy yourself as a bit of a journalist! Copies are available for free and we can send them straight to your house, or electronically to your inbox.

Get involved with our volunteering: We provide a number of exciting, creative and interesting volunteer opportunities, so if you want to get involved with us through volunteering, to enhance your CV, gain some new skills, get some experience, let us know!

Get more info online: Our website has loads of information for anyone aged 16+ that has a heart condition. Check it out, and all our news and info, at www.thesf.org.uk