Background Information on the Cardiac Exercise Club @SW19

We started out as a phase 4 club, affiliated to BHF, that has been operating for over 30 years and have an active membership of around 60 attendees. The club was started by John Swinfen-Green when St George's hospital declined to continue running a phase 4 group. John was motivated to start an independent exercise group as he believed strongly in the advice given to him by medical professionals that individuals recovering from heart surgery and other cardiac conditions need to exercise regularly. His efforts were recognised by the award of an MBE for setting up and running the club in 2000. Unfortunately, we lost John in October 2010. His wife Fiona now chairs the club.


The club is run by cardiac and other ex-patients and is financially supported by contributions from members and grants obtained from local and national health and community bodies. The club broadened its remit some years ago to offer supervised exercise sessions to members who experience breathing or respiratory difficulties, as well as to people who have conditions where regular exercise is a key component in maintaining physical health and improving a sense of well-being. More recently we are welcoming new members who have cancer or weight management conditions. The club relies heavily on willing club members for its organisation and maintenance to meet financial, statutory and legal obligations. The exercise sessions are always supervised by our qualified COPD/BACPR/Cancer/Weight Management trainers.


The club hires a room at the Patterson Annexe, South Wimbledon Community Centre in Victory Road, Wimbledon. The centre is able to offer free parking to users


We offer a choice of face-to-face and on-line exercise sessions but encourage new members to join face-to-face session initially before negotiating with our trainers to do on-line Zoom sessions.


To this end the club:-


  • Provides regular presentations on it services and the benefits of exercise to 'phase three' groups at St George's, and Queen Mary’s hospitals, the Nelson Health centre, Morden Leisure Centre and other community settings
  • Post-Covid the club regularly offers members regular social activities and opportunities to shape and support the club through annual general meetings, surveys and informal canvassing by committee members. Surveys of members showed that all felt an improvement in their personal sense of well-being following exercise and that attending exercise sessions contributed to improving the quality of life.

Charity: 1111416

Sport Relief and Lottery sponsor the Cardiac Club