FOR many, walking up one of the highest mountains in the UK would be enough, but for one army veteran from County Durham, having your fellow comrades can make all the difference.
On December 18, David Kirton, will join a team of former military men to scale Skiddaw in the Lake District, which is billed in the top ten highest mountains in the whole country.
Despite the mammoth challenge facing David and his team, the walk is all for a good cause. At the start of this month, the veterans set up a fundraiser for Walking With the Wounded and their Walking Home for Christmas campaign.
Read more: A driving force – from the Army to fighting for the North-East
As part of this year’s challenge, the funds will be concentrated on raising money to ensure that no veteran is left behind from lockdown.
David, who served in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, said: “I decided to take on Walking With The Wounded’s Walking Home For Christmas challenge to support fellow veterans who need mental health support.
"I am all too aware of the issues that face some veterans when they leave the Armed Forces and I want to do my bit this Christmas.”
Walking Home for Christmas is an annual fundraising campaign for Walking With The Wounded, a charity that provides mental health, employment, care coordination and volunteering opportunities for vulnerable veterans.
The campaign encourages anyone from any walk of life to register and fundraise by undertaking a walk to support veterans that need it.
This year, the campaign will focus on supporting veterans and their family members who have been affected by the mental health epidemic that has engulfed the country during the pandemic.
Read more: Veterans start support group for ex-armed forces in Darlington
New research commissioned by Walking With The Wounded to support Walking Home For Christmas, found that Brits are still suffering an impact on their mental health caused by lockdowns enforced during the pandemic. Four in five of those surveyed said that they still suffer from the effects on their mental health.
Walkers from previous years have dedicated their walks to loved ones who have been in or have fallen serving our country, have walked to a war memorial, run errands for friends and family or supported their local community.
So far, David has surpassed his £250 target by raising £486, but hopes to increase the funds by the time he's finished the challenge later this month.
Have a look at David's fundraising page here
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.
For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054
Share