Once again we are donning our leg warmers to raise money for our wonderful, brave and selfless friends in the Armed Forces. 

This year we are all walking / running / cycling / pirouetting along 27km of muddy, wet, (currently frozen) pathway, from Harpenden to Hatfield and back to Luton and ending up eventually in a large heap of exhausted bodies back at school!!  (I vote to be the one on top!!!)

My son William and I are walking in remembrance of two extremely brave soldiers who died in action in Helmand.

 

Private Johan Botha   -   Army  -   Mercian Regiment Worcesters and Foresters, 2nd Battalion

Described by his colleagues as a "mountain of a man",  

Private Botha was the archetypal South African - incredibly proud, strong, tough, robust and an excellent soldier.  On the flip side he was a devoted family man; the strong bond and sense of responsibility he held for his wife and daughter were humbling.

Johan died on 8 September 2007 at the age of 25 when he was shot during a firefight behind enemy lines when his patrol came under attack.  

 

Major James Bowman   -   Army   -    1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles

James died, on the 13th July 2010 at the age of 34, in a suspected premeditated attack by an Afghan National Army member.   He was shot as he slept, his comrades were shot in their command centre and four others were injured.

Using an Afghan-issue light machine gun, an M16 rifle and a grenade launcher, the attacker then fired into the base's command centre, killing Lt Turkington, 26, from Craigavon, Northern Ireland, and Cpl Pun, 33, from Nepal, before escaping.

In a statement his family said: “He was the best possible son and brother who will be sadly missed by his family and many friends. He loved the Army and was very proud of the selfless work that he and his Company were doing.”

 

We walk to remember their sacrifice, to honour their memory, and to help the loved ones they have left behind.

Please help us to raise some money for The Soldiers’ Charity, by donating on this page.  All of your donation, plus a big chunk of tax refund, will go to the families of these and other brave girls and boys who have made the greatest sacrifice for their country.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.