Join in walk to raise cash for injured troops (From Ledbury Reporter)

Join in walk to raise cash for injured troops

7:40pm Tuesday 21st August 2012 in News By Robert Hale

A ROYAL Air Force engineer wants local people to join his fund-raising trek across the Malvern Hills in aid of Help for Heroes.

The Malvern Challenge is now in its fourth year and in that time it has attracted hundreds of walkers who have raised more than £32,000 for the cause.

The event is organised by Dave Lewis, who is based at RAF Lyneham in Oxfordshire and who has often flown in the Hercules aircraft that bring dead and wounded soldiers back from Iraq and Afghanistan .

He said: “I have just returned from operating in Afghanistan yet again, and our troops are still getting injured far too often, which is why I am using this event to raise money to help for the care that they will need for the rest of their lives.

“I have helped to secure the stretchers and coffins of our injured troops in the back of our aircraft, and also been rehabilitated alongside the same injured troops at Headley Court.

“These humbling experiences have spurred me on to raise money for our troops via this event and this amazing charity.”

The event is on Saturday, September 1, with 11-mile and five-mile walks, each with hard and easy routes.

Coaches will be provided to the starting points and the walkers will return to Great Malvern, where the Mount Pleasant Hotel is the finishing point.

Taking part costs £5, To register for the event, help with the planning or to work on the day, contact Lucy Price on 07957 122856 or lucyprice3242@hotmail.co.uk or Rick Orston on rickyorston@yahoo.co.uk.

More information is available on events4h4h.org.uk and you can sponsor the event via bmycharity.com/ malvernchallenge2012.