Hello, my name is Tom. Those that know me won’t be surprised that I’m setting myself an outdoors challenge, having spent much time over the years walking, hiking, running and cycling. As a child, my father introduced me to the world of outdoor adventuring and this has encouraged a passion for experiencing the great British countryside, either on two feet or two wheels!

My 2024 challenge is to run/hike the South West Coast Path, 630 miles (1014km) starting in Minehead, Somerset on Saturday 2nd November 2024, travelling counterclockwise around Land’s End and finishing in Poole, Dorset. The SWCP is one of the world’s greatest and most scenic marked paths and home to some of the best coastline in Britain. I am aiming to complete the path in around one month - if I can remain injury free. This will entail a daily average of 26 miles and a total ascent across the whole SWCP of circa 115,000 ft (35,000 m), equivalent to almost four times the height of Mount Everest. What could possibly go wrong - hopefully I’m back in time for Christmas!!

This challenge will be my tribute to my middle son, Sam, whom we tragically lost in 2020, aged just 17. Sam is survived by his older brother, Oli and his younger sister, Evie. Together with my wife, Helena, we all miss him terribly. We will always remember him as a fun loving, incredibly hard working, resilient and inquisitive young man who loved nature, the outdoors and who was fiercely loyal and protective of his loved ones. Whilst he is no longer here in person to chat, laugh with and hug, his character and countless attributes continue to inspire many that knew him well.

I will be supporting Boys in Mind: this is a fantastic, locally-based charity which seeks to reduce mental health stigma among boys and young men by equipping them with the tools to talk about their feelings and to ask for help when they are feeling down or struggling. I will also be donating 10% of funds raised to the SWCP charity to help pay for essential maintenance of the UK's longest and best-loved trail.

Here's a few examples of how Boys in Mind may spend funds raised by my run:

£15 will buy a trowel, gardening gloves and seeds for our Grow for Life therapeutic gardening project for young men at local secondary schools

£35 will cover expenses for our Youth Engagement Officer to run an assembly at a local school or university

£50 will pay for a secondary student to experience a session of our mentored boxing gym project, enabling young men to release frustration and aggression in a safe and healthy way

£75 will pay for room hire and refreshments for an 'Exam Stress' workshop

£100 will pay for our Outreach Lead to deliver positive mental health workshops at 3 local schools

£500 will buy a branded BIM gazebo for festivals and outdoor events

£700 will cover our Youth Engagement Officer's costs for a month

£1000 will contribute towards making a short film on a specific mental health and wellbeing issue chosen by local young people

Thank you for supporting my fundraising!

Best wishes

Tom