This Sunderland dad has devoted 45 years to the fight against heart disease after two sons die from congenital condition

Jim Machin, now 75, lost his first son Ian a day after his first birthday. His second, Anthony, died within days of being born.

The two sons to Jim and his wife June died within four years of each other and both boys suffered from congenital heart disease.

But Jim, who has a daughter and granddaughter, decided to fight back from the tragedy by joining the Sunderland branch of the British Heart Foundation.

That was 45 years ago and he is still part of the BHF in Sunderland where he is the chairman.

And when asked what motivates him to keep on going, he said: “I can stop people having to go through what we went through.

“By doing it, I have seen the difference the BHF makes and how much improvement there has been in cardiology.”

Jim’s devotion has gained him a nomination for a Best of Wearside Award. The nomination said: “Through ill health, Jim has always stood steadfast in his responsibilities as chairman.

“In his tenure, he has helped the branch raise well over half a million pounds. So I believe Jim deserves to win the Volunteer of the Year.”

When we broke the news of the nomination to Jim, he said: “That’s great.”

But he was just as keen to talk about the difference that BHF makes.

“We were doing a collection in Asda and this woman came up with her little boy. He wasn’t even a year old but he was incredible,” said Jim.

“He’d had an operation on his heart and he was brilliant. I thought ‘that’s great. If the money we provide can lead to things like that, we are doing a good job.”

Jim joins a great list of nominations for this year’s competition but we want more.

This year’s competition has backing from headline sponsor BGL, partner sponsor Utility Alliance, partner sponsor Gentoo, and category sponsors Marelli and the North East Autism Society.

We thank them all for getting on board, and now comes your turn to get involved.

We hope you will inundate us with entries and make the job of the judges that much harder.

Take a look at the categories, read the entry instructions, and your favourite cause will be a step closer to hopefully winning a Best of Wearside title.

THE CATEGORIES

Community Group of the Year; Student of the Year; Green Champion of the Year; Child of Courage; Child of Achievement; Young Voice of Wearside; Fundraiser of the Year; Volunteer of the Year; Sporting Achievement of the Year; Community Champion Award.

HOW TO NOMINATE

To nominate, just send your name, address and telephone number, as well as your email address, if applicable. Remember to include the category you are putting your nominated cause into.

Also, make sure you send the name of the person you wish to nominate, along with their address, telephone number and email (if known).

Send all of that to Lynn Wild by no later than March 2. Judging of all the entries will be held that same week with the finale at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday, April 1.

There are three ways to nominate.

l Email those entries to [email protected].

l Post them to Lynn Wild, North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC), Wearfield Enterprise Park East, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR5 2TA.

l Visit the website at https://www.bestofwearside.co.uk.