This page is for BLESMA.  Please go to our other page www.justgiving.com/pennine100pursuit1 for St Dunstans.  Thank you.

Running the Pennine Way National Trail - 272mile in 100 hours

We are serving members of a British Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) (bomb disposal) Squadron who provide intimate support to the civil police within Great Britain and Northern Ireland as well as providing personnel for 20 bomb disposal teams in Afghanistan and other theatres.  The current threat from Improvised Explosive Devices (more commonly known as roadside bombs) within Afghanistan is still very high and these indiscriminate devices endanger the lives of the Afghan civilian population as well as coalition forces from all nations.

Members of our Squadron / Regiment selflessly put their lives on the line on a daily basis to mitigate this threat.

The Challenge

We are planning an event in June for a team from 521 EOD Squadron, consisting of 8 pairs, to relay run the 272 mile length of the Pennine Way national trail beginning in Edale, Derbyshire and finishing in Kirk Yetholm on the Scottish Border.  We have set ourselves an ambitious time limit of no more than 100 hours to complete this challenge.  This is certainly no easy feat, given that an average hill walker will do the same route over a period between 2 and 3 weeks.

 

The Charities

The funds raised in sponsorship for this event will be split between two excellent and very worthy charities:  

1.         St Dunstan’s.  St Dunstan’s gives invaluable physical and emotional support to blind and visually impaired ex-Service men and women enabling them to lead independent and fulfilling lives. 

St Dunstan's Website

2.          The British Limbless Ex-Serviceman’s Association (BLESMA).  BLESMA is a national charity which supports wounded service personnel who lose limbs, the use of limbs or their eyesight in the service of their country, from World War veterans to current day service personnel.

BLESMA Website

Both these charities provide life-long support, proving that there certainly is life after a serious injury!

Why Us ?

As a close knit Squadron both these charities are more relevant than ever before.  Three of our members have been seriously injured on Operation HERRICK in Afghanistan during the last 18 months.  One of these sustained serious head / eye injuries which resulted in the loss of an eye and the other sustained a traumatic amputation of both legs, two fingers as well as an eye injury.

Without the continuing work of these fantastic charities, these and other injured servicemen and women will potentially lose the support they often require.

Since operations began in Afghanistan members of 11 EOD Regiment as a whole have sustained many serious injuries and tragically 6 close friends of us all have paid the ultimate price while carrying out their duties (WO2 Gary O'Donnell GM and Bar, Capt Dan Shepherd GM, SSgt Olaf 'Oz' Schmid GC, Capt Dan Read, SSgt Bret Linley GM and Capt Lisa Head).

 

Thank You

Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

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So please dig deep and donate now.