A medical charity has launched a drive for 2019 to encourage more of us to lead healthy lives through a series of health challenges.

Health Research UK’s Health Heart Challenge includes a range of exciting events this year, designed to help make our hearts a priority and raise money for medical research. The challenges include the Great North Run, trekking the iconic Great Wall of China, cycling from London to Paris, and an adrenaline-packed skydive.

For those that want to help out closer to home, the charity has created Swim the Channel, where you can conquer the English Channel, all from the comfort of the local swimming pool.  Anyone taking part will also get to raise money for the charity’s medical research by asking people to sponsor them in each challenge.

To find an event visit www.heartresearch.org.uk/events, call 0113 2347474 or email community@heartresearch.org.uk.

Thanks to a £9,000 grant from the sandwich franchise Subway, the charity will also be inspiring the next generation about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. The grant has enabled Health Research UK to team up with Queen Mary, University of London to offer interactive workshops to children in deprived areas of East London.

The workshops will take place at the university’s science education centre Centre of the Cell, an interactive ‘Pod’ which inspires children to become clinical investigators and question how the human body works, why things go wrong and how we can keep healthy for longer.

The grant will also give 15 primary schools in deprived areas the chance to take part in a science show called ‘In a Heartbeat’. The partners hope that the work will help to address health inequalities in East London.

Sarah Mirfin, Healthy Heart Coordinator at Heart Research UK, said:

Everyone should be given the opportunity to live a healthier, happier, longer life. I’m happy that this funding will allow more children to be inspired to improve the heart health of themselves and others.

Image: Health Research UK