THE British Heart Foundation is asking people to get involved in their Bag it. Beat it. Campaign to help children in Wales born with heart defects make it to school. An estimated 210 children with congenital heart defects, often limiting their physical ability and quality of life, will start school in September in Wales according to the charities latest statistics. But tragically around 18 of those children will have lost their life before they can attend school.

Bag it. Beat it. Will raise vital funds to research into this disease to enable more children with heart defects make it to school. The BHF are urging the public to donate bags full of unwanted items to BHF shops to raise the money for life-saving heart research.

The BHF says further and faster research will help more children survive with a heart defect and improve the quality of life for those undergoing life-changing surgery. Previous breakthroughs funded by the BHF have already contributed to an 80 per cent fall in the number of children dying from these defects in the last three decades.

Everyone can get involved in Bag it. Beat it. By filling bag with good quality clothes, shoes, books, handbags, DVDs, CDs, bric-a-brac and children’s toys and taking it to their local BHF shop. Every bag donated will fund life-saving research, helping over 2,000 little heroes in Wales continue to fight congenital heart disease.

To find your local BHF shop or to book a FREE collection of your unwanted items visit: bagit.bhf.org.uk or call 0800 915 7000.