The Heart of Mersey The Heart of Mersey, one of England’s largest coronary heart disease prevention charities, is so impressed by The Heath restaurant that it has presented staff with a coveted Food Charter Award in recognition of excellent healthy service. Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and the Merseyside Health Action Zone originally launched the Merseyside Food Charter in 2001. In 2004, Heart of Mersey joined forces with a range of partners including LJMU and the Greater Merseyside Public Protection Officers' Group to update and relaunch the Charter. The Greater Merseyside Food Charter (GMFC) welcomes all food service providers, large and small. It is open to all food service outlets that are committed to making changed that are mutually beneficial in providing access to nutritious, affordable and safe food for the people of Merseyside. The Charter is not simply a registration scheme for food companies, We want to acknowledge that an organisation, no matter what size, can make a difference locally, and can demonstrate that commitment by working towards the principles of the GMFC. Most of us will know someone who has had a heart attack or suffered from heart problems, because in Greater Merseyside we have one of the highest levels of coronary heart disease (CHD) in England. The fact is, we can all do something about it. Four out of five cases of CHD can be prevented by a simple change in lifestyle (one in three by changing what we eat). In the meantime if you would like to find out how you can improve your lifestyle through small, sustainable changes visit www.heartofmersey.org.uk