Hello! I’m Harry, and on 26th September I’ll be taking on a 27km hike through the Lincolnshire Wolds in aid of Help for Heroes.

So, before I set-off on my very long walk, I thought I’d tell you a little bit about me, why I’m doing it, and why Help for Heroes is a charity that has become particularly important to me.

When I’m not working behind the counter at my local café, The Pheasantries in Leadenham, I lead a national initiative called Operation Upcycle (or OpUp), that's turning surplus military textiles into a sustainable, contemporary fashion collection while supporting skills, education and employment here in the UK.

We're bringing together Ramco UK, student designers, UK-based manufacturers, military textile specialists, His Majesty’s Prison Service and Help for Heroes to create a circular fashion model that benefits people, the planet, and our Armed Forces community.

You can find out a bit more about what we do here: https://www.operationupcycle.co.uk/

One of the parts of OpUp that I’m most proud of is our partnership with Help for Heroes.

I’ve been aware of Help for Heroes for several years, but it’s really through working with the charity over the last year that I’ve come to understand much more about the challenges some veterans and their families can face – and the breadth of support that can be needed long after somebody leaves military service.

Funding helps support services including Hidden Wounds, which provides mental health support and talking therapies for veterans and their families; and their Recovery College, which helps members of the Armed Forces community build skills, knowledge and confidence for life after service.

Working more closely with the charity has made me realise just how varied the challenges of life after service can be. They can involve mental and physical health, employment, finances, confidence, relationships or simply finding a new sense of purpose and belonging.

I don’t have close family connections to the military myself, so I wouldn’t pretend that this comes from personal experience of service. But I was born and brought up here in Lincolnshire, where the Armed Forces have always been a very visible part of the community. I’ve grown up around serving personnel, veterans and military families, and that has given me a huge amount of respect for the commitment that people make when they choose to serve.

And I think there’s a simple principle behind all of this: people who have served our country should be able to live well after service.

Serving doesn’t just involve the person wearing the uniform. It affects families and communities too, and when somebody makes that commitment, I believe there is a responsibility on all of us – government, businesses, charities and individuals – to make sure they’re properly supported when they return to civilian life.

My work with Operation Upcycle is one way I’m fortunate enough to contribute to that. But I wanted to do something personally as well. So, on 26th September, I’ll be swapping emails, meetings and the occasional café shift for walking boots and 27km of the Lincolnshire Wolds!

This hike is an extra opportunity for me to raise money for a charity whose work I’ve seen and come to really believe in. Every donation, however big or small, will help Help for Heroes continue supporting veterans and their families to live well after service.

**If you’re able to donate, thank you. It genuinely means a lot to me.**

And if donating isn’t possible, sharing this page with somebody else would be a huge help too.

Thank you for your support,

Harry 😊