THE rain stayed away for walkers who took part in a fundraising stroll for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) this morning.

More than 50 people embarked on the three-mile circular BHF walk from Worcestershire County Cricket Club in New Road, following the path along the river before returning to the cricket ground.

The walk not only raised money for the charity, which funds research in to heart disease, but also promoted the benefits of walking to stay healthy in general.

Carolyn Allen was taking part in the walk alongside her daughter, Rachael, and granddaughter, Millie, who both live in Bishop's Frome.

Mrs Allen had travelled up from Cornwall to take part in the walk in memory of her husband, Terry.

"Terry died on Christmas Day last year, aged 69. We had been married almost 47 years. He had never been ill previously and showed no signs of there being anything wrong, I just found him in the bedroom," she said.

"We found out he had died as a result of a thoracic aortic dissection. I'm walking to raise money to fund research, because we want to know why Terry died, because there were no signs. The more research is done, the higher the chance of us preventing this happening again. I had always given to charity before this but this is my first charity walk. It seemed like the right thing to do and I want to help however I can."

Although 34 people signed up to take part in the walk before the event, community fundraising manager Donna Stokes said the actual turn out on the day was expected to be double that.

"We did this walk in 2013 and it raised £5,500 for the BHF, which is fantastic," she said.

"The people who support us are often very dedicated and many people say they want to give something back. We get people who have lost loved ones to heart conditions or people who just want to do their bit for charity.

"There is a real buzz about this walk. It's a walk around some beautiful scenery and the weather is just right for it."

For more information on the charity, visit www.bhf.org.uk.