TWO charitable nursery nurses walked for almost 30 hours to raise money for the British Heart Foundation – and didn’t even stop to sleep.

Lisa Dixon and Amanda Ford, who work at Barrowford Preschool Nursery, in Wilton Street, signed up for the 65-mile walk from Sandown Park race course, London, to Brighton race course.

Last year, 40-year-old Amanda raised money for children’s cancer charity Clic Sargent by walking the Great Wall of China and her friend Lisa was inspired.

The 33-year-old said: “I saw what Amanda had done last year for Clic Sargent and I just thought it was brilliant.

“I started thinking that I would like to do something similar to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

“There is a history of heart disease in my family and when I was a teenager, about 14 or 15, I saw my grandad have a heart attack.”

Lisa was a pupil at St Augustine’s High School in Billington at the time of her grandfather’s illness and says she could remember British Heart Foundation leaflets in her school at the time that helped her identify the signs of a heart attack.

“They do a really good job in raising awareness and I’m glad that they were around at that time.

“I knew straight away to call for an ambulance and luckily my granddad was all right after that.

“It was a lot to deal with at a young age and since then there have been other instances of heart problems in my family so it was just something to do to raise money for them as a thankyou, really.”

More than 1,000 walkers signed up for the challenge but in the sweltering heat of June 21, only 400 people crossed the finish line.

Amanda managed to walk 53 miles but had to stop after injuring her foot.

Lisa was one of the few hundred to complete the challenge and said that the walk was ‘tough going’.

“It was really hot so that made it even more difficult but the worst part for me was not being able to sleep.

“I was so tired by the end of it but it was worth it for a good cause.”