Have you got 32 minutes to spare to help support people living with a heart condition or the survivor of a disabling stroke?

This weekend the Irish Heart Foundation would like to invite you to take part in #Challengethirtytwo; a new fundraising challenge open to people across the 32 counties in Ireland to raise funds for charity.

It couldn’t be easier. This is a challenge for everyone – all ages and abilities. You can take part on your own, with your family or friends and even the kids.

All you need to do is think of an activity based around the numbers 32 or 3.2 and complete it on or from 20th June – just in time for the lovely, sunny summer solstice weekend.

Why 32? Because there are 32 counties in Ireland.

#Challengethirtytwo takes place on Saturday, June 20th and you can choose any fundraising activity based on the number 32. If you can’t do it on Saturday June 20^th you can chose another day to take part. It is really easy to set up your fundraising page, just click here:

Last year heart disease and stroke took the lives of 8,989 people in Ireland. Of these, 4,163 died from heart disease and 1,627 lost their lives to stroke. There are also thousands more people in Ireland currently living with heart disease or the after-effects of a debilitating stroke.

By donating €32, you can help the Irish Heart Foundation to provide vital physical activity classes for someone living with a heart condition or a stroke survivor or help our specialist nurses support and advise them via our telephone support line.

Here are some fundraising ideas to get you started:

Draw 32 hearts

The Irish Heart Foundation supports hearts across Ireland. Colour in or design 32 hearts, stick them in your windows and help up to keep more hearts beating.

Host a virtual coffee morning for 32 minutes

The Irish Heart Foundation support line nurses give expert advice support and information for free over the phone to people living with heart disease and stroke survivors and their carers. Why not set aside 32 minutes of your morning to lend a similar listening ear and catch up with your friends, family or colleagues?

Skip for 3.2 minutes

Some people living with certain heart conditions can sometimes feel like their heart is skipping a beat. Could you challenge yourself to skip for 3.2 minutes to support them?

Walk, run, jog or cycle for 32 minutes

Physical activity is important in preventing and recovering from heart disease and stroke. It is recommended that adults in Ireland get 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week. Try walking, jogging, running or cycling for 32 minutes every day for a week. Please remember to follow public health guidelines around social distancing you can always try 32 laps around the garden.

Walk 32 times around the house

If you cant get outside why not do 32 laps around the house, climb the stairs 32 times or do 32 laps of the sitting room?

Remember before you try any new physical activity to clear it first with your doctor.

We would love to see you take part in your activity. Share pictures or videos on social media using #Challengethirtytwo and don’t forget to tag us.

Thank you so much.

We are here for you

The Irish Heart Foundation’s nurse support line is available five days a week. Anyone living with heart disease and stroke who has concerns or questions about the coronavirus can contact the nurse support line on 01 668 5001 or support@irishheart.ie.

The Irish Heart Foundation’s new heart support group is on Facebook. Anyone who lives with heart failure or another heart condition or has a family member living with a heart condition can join here: www.facebook.com/groups/heartsupportnetwork/

The Irish Heart Foundation runs 21 stroke support groups and 5 heart failure groups around the country. All these groups have moved to telephone and online support. For more information, see https://irishheart.ie/get-support/.

The Irish Heart Foundation in conjunction with the HSE National Stroke Programme, has launched a new telephone support service for stroke patients who have recently been discharged from hospital. For more information, see here.

Please support our work

If you found this article helpful and would like to donate to the Irish Heart Foundation please see here.