A CHARITY walk has been organised by a woman who suddenly lost her father in a bid to help the 11,500 people in the area who suffer from heart and circulatory disease.

Five years ago Amber Heard’s dad died of a heart attack in his sleep.

In support of British Heart Foundation (BHF), the 26 year-old has organised a walk with friend and colleague Ciara, whose mother is in hospital with a rare brain disease.

At 10.30am on January 28, around 300 people are expected to walk 2.5miles from the pair’s workplace, The Victoria Pub in Loughton, to Butlers Retreat in Chingford.

Miss Heard said: “We thought it would be a nice idea to raise some money.

“We have both been working at The Victoria for over ten years so we decided to start it there.

“People will pay £10 and there will be lunch included, a raffle, face painting and maybe morris dancers.”

Kirsty Brzeczek, a BHF fundraiser for Essex, urged people to attend.

She said: “Around 11,500 people across Epping Forest and the local area are fighting a daily battle with heart and circulatory disease.

“Each year these devastating conditions claim the lives of more than 300 people alone in the region.

“BHF research has helped halve death rates from heart and circulatory disease over the past 50 years, but there is still a long way to go. Please join the fight for every heartbeat.”