Around 30 people are expected to participate in the third annual fundraising St George’s Walk, which, this year, will cover the Gower Peninsula.
Consultant Richard Bond, from Hendy, created the charity walk in memory of his father, Barry, who passed away on St George’s Day, in 2020. And the walk raises funds for four charities close to Barry’s heart: Armed Forces charity Help for Heroes; the Scouts Association – for whom Barry was a venture scout leader; Children in Need; and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
Richard, 46, explained: “He had a long association with three of the charities, and, latterly, he was a strong advocate for Help for Heroes, having grown up in a military family. It was his aim to go to Sandhurst, but, sadly, he failed the medical.
“The money raised will be split between the charities, though we were given local charity status this year and have also built in a grant structure, so £250 grants will be given to other local organisations.”
The walk will cover around 50 miles of the Wales Coast Path on the Gower Peninsula, which was the first place in Britain to be named an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Bond and his fellow walkers will set out on Friday, 21 April, and walk on both Saturday 22, and Sunday, 23 (St George’s Day), which will be just a half-day.
In-between they will be camping overnight and other walkers are welcome to join the walk for the full three days, a single day or just the final half-day, which will finish at Mumbles Lifeboat Station, at around 1pm, on Sunday, 23 April.
Bond added: “While this is to celebrate the life of my father, it’s also about the benefits of exercise, nature, and fresh air, for both physical and mental health. We’ve set up a number of free downloadable walking guides on our website, and we’ve started doing a smaller – generally a single day – event in October.
“We have some free camping places for the Friday and Saturday nights too, and it would be great if other people were interested in joining us for the whole walk or single days.
“Ultimately, with the St George’s Walk, we’re aiming to do 40 or 50 miles each year over a different section of the Wales Coast Path – the world’s first coastal path to cover an entire country. Next year, for example, we’re planning to walk from Pembroke Castle to Tenby – and all while raising funds for worthwhile charities.”
Help for Heroes champions the Armed Forces community and helps them live well after service. The charity helps them, and their families, to recover and get on with their lives. It has already supported more than 27,000 people and won’t stop until every veteran gets the support they deserve.
The Charity supports veterans from any branch of the UK military – regulars or reserves – irrespective of length or place of service, and locally embedded civilians (and their families) who worked alongside our Armed Forces.
St George’s Walk schedule:
- Friday, 21 April – Around 21 miles from Gowerton to Llangennith (with a short-cut option dropping roughly four miles)
- Saturday, 22 April – Around 19 miles from Llangennith to Three Cliffs Bay
- Sunday, 23 April – Around 10 miles from Three Cliffs Bay to the finish at Mumbles Pier
