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I am so grateful to you for showing interest in my fund-raising challenge and perhaps we should start this journey, where all good stories start, at the beginning.

This is the 2nd (long-distance) challenge that I have embarked on since fully recovering from Covid. The first was a circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight back in October ‘24 where I raised monies for the Kent Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance as well as for Guide Dogs.

I found this walk hugely rewarding, as not just did I raise valuable funds for two worthy causes, but I found time to reflect - on life, myself, others - and a recognition that in distance walking I had found something that I was physically capable of doing as well as the added bonus of it being something that I enjoyed.

This challenge is similar to that of the IoW ‘24 event, in that since I was a young man I had always harboured the thought to visit and walk Hadrians Wall.

When I looked on a map, it seemed such a shame to travel all that way and not add on some extra miles each end of the wall to make it a truly Coast to Coast journey.

This time around, rather than walking solo, I shall be accompanied by two friends, John & Tim, who wish to accompany me and raise funds for their own causes.

I have elected to raise money for an additional charity this year - The Labrador Rescue South East & Central (LRSEC)- as for the past 18 months, we have been blessed by being granted the privilege of looking after two beautiful elderly Black Labs after their previous owners circumstances changed and they were no longer able to look after them.

They have and continue to be the most gentle, loving creatures who demand nothing but give everything in return. It was, therefore, incredibly difficult and heart-breaking when one of the pair, litter brothers and never separated before, unexpectedly succumbed to cancer a few months ago.

The effort put in by the volunteers who identify the dogs in need, provide support and where necessary veterinary attention, fostering and finally allocation of these wonderful creatures to their forever homes cannot be understated. But, these things come at a price, and if I can just try to help another dog find its place, peacefully living out its 2nd chance in life, it will be worth it.

And so, to the respect to the volunteers, the love of the dogs and the continuation of their work, if you could pledge whatever you can, I would be most grateful.

If, at the moment, you cannot pledge anything, that’s fine. You’re more than welcome to follow our journey as we update our challenge blog via these pages. Maybe, when circumstances allow, you might be able to help in some way?

Please check out my and Johns other fund-raising pages. Remember, you do not have to donate to all the charities we are supporting. We understand that times are hard for a lot of people, but a lot of people individually donating small amounts still adds up to a lot of money 😀

I will update this page nearer the time to let you know how the preparations are going.

Until then, enjoy your summer, keep safe, keep checking-in

Perry