Across the country, hundreds of people have been Walking Home For Christmas in support of military veterans. From epic cross-country treks to sponsored walks home from school, people of all ages have braved freezing temperatures to help former servicemen and women.
Walking Home For Christmas is veterans’ charity Walking With The Wounded’s annual national fundraising walking campaign to support its work to provide mental health and employment support to veterans.
Between 9 and 20 December:
● 1256 signed up for Walking Home For Christmas
● They walked 3367 miles in total
● This means they clocked up an estimated 7.1 million steps between them
● £94,797 has been raised so far and the total continues to rise
● This equates to more than 2000 emergency food shops for veterans / 1000 one-to-one mental health sessions / 90 courses of therapy
The youngest walkers were 5-year-old twins Ava and Mya Hughes from Kent who took part in the Walking Home For Christmas regional walk in London on 9 December. The oldest was 82-year-old Ian Harvey from Nottingham, who along with his daughter Rachel Harvey, walked 10km before cycling another 14km.
Former Royal Military Police Officer, Andy Schofield from Wythenshawe, walked the furthest. He set himself the challenge of walking from London to Manchester in just five days in what he described as a physical representation of a mental health journey. He arrived in Manchester in time to join the Walking Home For Christmas regional walk to the city’s Cenotaph on 9 December.
Other highlights:
● Lee Jordan, who served with the RAF, walked to the most easterly mountain bothy in the UK, near Balmoral in Aberdeenshire. He then stayed in the bothy in freezing temperatures for ten days.
● Alex Rowland and his mum Kizzy walked home from his school (nine miles) in South Oxfordshire raising more than £1000.
● 13 Company South West London Army Cadet Force, walked 11 miles from Wimbledon to Tower Bridge, via Buckingham Palace.
● John Burton from Newcastle trekked 85 miles along Hadrian’s Wall raising more than £1600.
● Louis Alexander gathered nine of his friends together for a ten-mile walk along the River Thames in London.
An estimated 5 million veterans live in the UK. While most of the 15,000+ personnel who leave the forces each year have a successful transition to civilian life, a small but significant minority do not. WWTW supports those who served, and their families, to thrive.
Joel Oxberry, Director Of Income commented: “Walking With The Wounded supports the 10% of veterans that have fallen furthest from where they want to be. Donations enable our frontline staff to deliver mental health therapy, employment support and social welfare when and where it is needed, and to those who need it most. We acknowledge that the transition from the military can be hard for some; it can take away a sense of purpose. We exist to reignite that purpose.
“Your donation extends far beyond Christmas and I dare say, will be the most impactful gift you will give. If you have yet to donate, there is still time; and as we all look to the end of the year and turn our attention to resolutions we will make in the next, remember that for a significant number of our service users, their chance of a new beginning rests with the help we will provide, made possible through the donation you make. Thank you.”
You can make 2023 brighter for a military veteran by making a donation at www.walkinghomeforchristmas.com
