Young children in North West London will receive healthy heart lessons and exercise classes thanks to Hendon FC Supporters Trust who have benefited from a grant from national health charity Heart Research UK and SUBWAY stores.

The community group has been awarded £8,600 to facilitate sessions to improve children's heart health and lifestyles in the local area through the use of physical activities such as football, dodgeball, walking and cycling amongst others.

The project will also include the club's fitness coach facilitating sessions in order to make children more aware of which foods are healthy and unhealthy in order to tackle this issue in a fun and approachable way.

The club have already worked with various schools but are looking to further extend their impact, and the project is expected to reach around 360 primary school children.

The initiative was started in February 2017, running through to July and will enable the club to deliver key health messages to children living around the clubs' new home at Silver Jubilee Park in Kingsbury.

Mike Harte, a director of Hendon Football Club said: "The club's objectives have been to strengthen the bonds between the club and the community and to promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Thanks to HRUK and SUBWAY stores we will be able to encourage local children to take some form of physical exercise that they enjoy, to improve diet and change their lifestyles in a fun way. We also want to encourage their parents to become role models to a more healthy life.

Beyond that we hope that the children and their families will be inspired to join our football coaching sessions, dance and exercise classes and holiday courses.”

Heart Research UK National Director, Barbara Harpham, said: "One of the aims of our Healthy Heart Grants scheme is to help people of all ages to improve their heart health, and the Hendon FC Supporters Trust project is aiming to achieve that. It’s important for children to understand all about healthy lifestyles to help them live healthier, happier and longer lives."

Sacha Clark, Marketing Director for the SUBWAY brand in UK and Ireland, said: "The SUBWAY brand is delighted to be able to help fund this worthwhile initiative which helps young people to live healthier lifestyles. SUBWAY stores nationwide have enjoyed fundraising and it's great to see local community initiatives such as this come to fruition as a result of the money generously donated by our customers both in store and at fundraising events, like our popular family 5K series."