As you read this, I am walking England’s South West Coast Path in one stint. Its 630 miles /1015 km. I estimate it’s going to take me 40-45 days. I’m doing it solo and on a shoestring. My main reason behind it is to hopefully use it as a tool to try and improve my own mental health. I‘ve suffered treatment resistant depression for around 25 years, as a result have tried every type of therapy, talking, pills and physical with no success. My best attempts have come from cold water swimming which I did every day this winter, however the cold water is no longer! So I'm looking to another natural therapy which I may feel may help. I‘ve watched other people with similar struggles do long distance hikes and it‘s done wonders for some, so I'm hoping to benefit mine and of course through fundraising, the lives of many others. This task alone without depression would be very challenging…with it undoubtedly more so. It‘s just me and my tent, I’ll be sleeping wild for pretty much the whole journey, perhaps the odd night in a campsite if funds permit to clean up!

For perspective its around 25 marathons and the same elevation as scaling Everest around 4 times. I’m doing around 15-20 miles a day sometimes more. But also consider I’m carrying a heavy backpack up and down savage terrain.

I shall document the journey morning and night via various social media platforms, (signal willing) with basic videos & images showing my progress. Please, please do share them to your followers on a regular basis so we can raise the maximum amount of money for the chosen charities. More donations will also help drive me forward psycologically through my darker times. If you'd like to follow my journey the links to my accounts are below. Please follow and encourage others to do so, so you get regular updates and in doing so pages can gain traction to improve chances of donations.

Instagram

Facebook

I’m doing the path in the reverse direction than is standard, so from Sandbanks in Dorset down to Lands End and then up to Minehead in Somerset.

If anyone lives on the route and fancies giving me a pitch for the night in a garden, or better still a shower, beer & meal it would be incredible! 😉 Also if anyone wishes to join me for a leg or 2, I’d welcome the company. Its going to be incredibly challenging at times and perhaps lonely, so walking with a friend or even a kind stranger would be fun.

The main thing is to please donate anything you can. I appreciate we live in expensive times…so no amount is too small. (or too big obviously!)

Here is some basic info and links to my chosen charities:

Dorset Mind My local mental health charity. Obviously very close to home for me and undoubtedly if not me personally, you’ll know or have known people with severe struggles.

Great Ormond St Hospital We all know St Ormond St continual fight tirelessly with Cancer. Its horrific for anyone, but children really are the most tragic and heartbreaking cases of all.

HealthBus Trust Getting effective medical assistance to the Homeless around Dorset. These guys work with such passion and have been awarded the prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) in November 2023. This award, equivalent to an MBE, reflects the organisation’s exceptional contribution to individual lives and the broader community, showcasing the positive impact on the well-being of the area. I’ve personally witnessed whole team making huge sacrifices. More funding is paramount.

I‘ve chosen 3 very varied charities so we can spread the love. Donations will be split evenly between the 3. However if you feel more passionate about one over another, just specify it in your note with your donation and I’ll make sure yours goes there.

Even if you want to give to an entirely different charity, I‘ll even redirect it there. Maximum funds are the obvious goal!

I appreciate 2 of the charities are Dorset based and it may not be your area or even your country. Consider that main national charities often have a lot of money, wheras the regionals struggle and even if you gave to the national, chances area those specific funds would not reach your area anyway. As far as I’m concerned its about helping anyone you can regardless of where they are from…after all a life is a life.

Finally….I’ve started with a goal of £5000. Its impossible to judge how much I can raise, thats up to you to share it, but £2000 is the minimum for the London Marathon. I‘m doing the equivalent of 25 of them with more hills than you can imagine, whilst living pretty rough…so I think that’s a very attainable amount which I hope to increase with your help in sharing this information with friends and family, work colleagues, random strangers in the street…basically anybody & everybody PLEASE 🙏🏼

Many many thanks

Luke x