A PAIR of army cadets have raised hundreds of pounds by walking a marathon for a worthwhile charity.
Cadet Staff Sergeant Joe Gafney, 17, of the Braintree detachment and Corporal George Myers, 17, of the Parsons Heath detachment in Colchester, are both members of the Essex Army Cadet Force.
Braving the cold, they walked more than 26 miles over nine hours from the Chelmsford war memorial to the Colchester war memorial as part of Walking With The Wounded’s national campaign Walking Home For Christmas.
The duo managed to raise more than £680 between them, which will go towards supporting ex-servicemen and women who are alone this Christmas.
Joe said: “As active members of the Army Cadet Force, George and I, along with many other Army Cadets, felt that this is exactly the sort of event we could and should be involved with.
“During lockdown, it’s been hard to take part in our usual charity events, so it’s great to be able to support our ex-forces and their families in this way.”
“We finished wet and tired, but extremely proud of each other, George and I raised around £700 between us and Essex ACF has raised over £2,000.
“Thank you for all the support.”
Commandant of Essex Army Cadet Force Colonel Leona Barr-Jones said: “I am hugely proud of all of the cadets and adults taking part in Walking Home for Christmas this year, but the efforts of senior cadets S Sgt Gafney and Cpl Myers are outstanding.
“These young men are both great role models and certainly inspire all to achieve. Well done.”
The charity, which was established in 2010, has also managed to attract big names, such as comedian Al Murray and Second World War historian James Holland also joined the campaign.
The campaign invites anyone to register for free and do a sponsored walk home or somewhere important to them anytime until December 20.
The event is aiming to support 200 ex-servicemen and women who are isolated, struggling with their mental health, homeless or caught in police custody as a result of poor mental health – and get them back into employment and independence.
Collectively, the cadets have so far raised more than £2,000, putting them nearly half way towards their £5,000 goal.
To donate to the appeal, click here.
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