Heartbeat Ballarat

Heartbeat Victoria Ballarat Branch is a peer support group, by cardiac patients for cardiac patients.  Offering Peer Support, Exercise, and Social Connection.  We are proud to be noticing, inviting, welcoming, and including of all.

Heartbeat Ballarat members exercise, make great lifestyle choices, and live well with cardiac illness.  Members walk, talk, and have cuppa catch ups weekly. Indoor and outdoor walking groups weekly.  Also, regular member meetings with a meal and guest speaker.  Social activities, Aging Well excursions, movies and lunch, picnics, nursery visits, Christmas gala, group bookings for live shows, concerts, festivals, sports and events.  Newsletter published every second month.

See Facebook/Heartbeat Ballarat.

 

Come Walk with US!

Currently Heartbeat Ballarat Walking Groups offer members with diverse abilities five Heart Foundation Walking Program registered weekly walks at five different locations.

Committee 2026

President: Mark Vorstenbosch – mvorstenbosch@bigginscott.com.au – 0437 573 433

Acting Secretary: Barry Nixon – barry@heartbeatvictoria.org.au – 0447 377 159

Treasurer: Anne Gow – anne.gow@outlook.com – 0419 594064

 

Benefits of Heartbeat Ballarat membership and peer support

Peer support complements and enhances other care services by delivering emotional, social and practical assistance for managing cardiac conditions and staying healthy.

For a person living with heart disease or recovering from a heart event, becoming a member of Heartbeat Ballarat peer support can have many benefits.

Being part of Heartbeat peer support:
 Helps you understand your condition
 Helps you feel more motivated and make healthier lifestyle choices
 Helps you feel less alone
 Assists you to feel more in control and informed about your condition
 Provides ongoing heart health education and support
 Provides social and exercise activities
 Helps you feel a sense of belonging and community connection

Lived experience volunteers regularly speak to new cardiac patients during cardiac rehabilitation and on hospital wards. Hearing from peer support volunteers with lived experience makes a real difference to patients’ recovery and quality of life.

Fundraising and Finances

Heartbeat volunteers raise funds to purchase cardiac equipment for both Ballarat hospitals, for local cardiac rehabilitation outpatient programs, and for individual patients in need. New heart failure patients regularly receive bathroom scales donated by Heartbeat members. These scales prevent hospital readmissions.

Heartbeat Ballarat is currently funded from member donations, an Australian Government Volunteer Grant, a Victorian Government Sport and Recreation Grant, a Ballarat City Council Community Grant, and a generous gift from Ballarat Floral Art Group.