Culture is about how a city cares for its people

Mark Ind

Southampton has a way of shaping you – not always loudly, but deeply. For me, the city represents community, resilience and a quiet determination to look after one another. It’s a place where world-class healthcare, grassroots charity, business and everyday kindness intersect, and it’s why I feel privileged to lead Heartbeat, a charity that sits right at the centre of that ecosystem.

My journey here began long before I became CEO of Heartbeat, having run several corporate hotels, two of which are in Southampton, the Holiday Inn, now the Voco Southampton back in 2004, and more recently, Chilworth Manor Hotel. Although I’m originally from Kent, I have family in Chandler’s Ford where I’ve lived for over 30 years. I have also been a Southampton FC supporter for nearly 50 years and am still a proud season ticket holder.

I spent nearly 25 years in hospitality, working as a hotel general manager across six different hotels. Hospitality, at its heart, is about care. It’s about creating environments where people feel welcome and safe – whether they’re staying for one night or building a career. Leading teams, turning businesses around and delivering results taught me strategic thinking, resilience and the importance of collaboration. Running the Holiday Inn London Mayfair for five years, which at the time was the one of the most expensive and high-profile Holiday Inns in the country, was a career milestone and I was proud to have been awarded IHG’s prestigious UK & Ireland ‘General Manager of the Year’ accolade in 2013.

Alongside my career, charity fundraising became a constant thread in my life – not as an obligation, but as a passion. Over two decades, I’ve been involved in fundraising efforts that raised significant sums for Heartbeat. What made that commitment deeply personal was our son, Alex.

Alex was born with a congenital heart condition and has undergone, amongst other operations, four major open-heart surgeries. As a family, my wife Susie, our daughter Holly and I experienced first-hand the extraordinary work of the Wessex Cardiac Unit at University Hospital Southampton. The skill, compassion and innovation we encountered there changed our lives.

For more than 20 years, we organised an annual charity ball raising over £150,000 for Heartbeat to fund life-saving equipment and pioneering project. Today, Alex is 27 and having graduated from Winchester University as a physiotherapist, is now working as a senior physio in a private practice in New Milton. Holly, who endured her own emotional journey alongside her brother’s, has recently stepped into her first role as an HR Manager. We couldn’t be prouder of both of their achievements.

Heartbeat itself is a charity with deep roots in this region. Established in 1992 as Wessex Heartbeat, it supports people of all ages diagnosed with congenital and cardiovascular disease, primarily through the Wessex Cardiac Unit. From funding specialist equipment to supporting families through some of the most challenging moments of their lives, Heartbeat is about improving outcomes, experiences and futures.

I officially took on the role of CEO in February 2023, following my predecssor John’s eight-year tenure. It’s a position I approached with humility and ambition. Over the past three years, we’ve grown operationally and financially, strengthened partnerships and continued to fund groundbreaking cardiac research and facilities, including Rotary Heartbeat House.

What continues to inspire me about Southampton is its culture of collaboration. Businesses, charities, hospitals and individuals don’t operate in silos here, they support each other. That sense of shared responsibility is something I’ve witnessed time and again, and it’s something Heartbeat both benefits from and contributes to.

Culture isn’t only about arts venues or events, it’s about how a city cares for its people. For me, community life in Southampton is reflected in volunteers giving their time, fundraisers showing up year after year, and families supporting one another through unimaginable challenges.

As CEO of Heartbeat, my focus is on raising the charity’s profile, deepening community engagement and ensuring we continue to fund pioneering cardiac projects for generations to come. Rotary Heartbeat House, where we accommodate and care for families of cardiac patients, will also be undergoing a very exciting and extensive renovation starting the Spring. The 24-bedroom facility has a home-from-home feel to it, and serves many communities across the South of England. This is indeed a branch of hospitality for which my previous experience has been invaluable over the past three years.    

Southampton has given my family hope, opportunity and support when we needed it most. Being able to give something back, professionally and personally, feels like a privilege.