Family duo take on tough walk for Help for Heroes

A FATHER and son duo are heading off up north to take on a gruelling 96 mile walk to raise cash for Help for Heroes.

Peter Edwards, 51, a manager at Ruislip Rugby Club, in West End Road, Rusilip, and his son Ben, 14, who plays for the Under 14s team are setting off to walk along the Pennine Way on July 11.

The pair will walk for an average of seven hours a day for six days from Malham in North Yorkshire to Dufton in Cumbria to raise funds for the charity.

Mr Edwards, who lives in Harrow, said: "As a family we do a lot of walking. We normally only go away for a couple of days though so this is going to be quite a challenge.

"The terrain is very hilly in places. I think the highest point is about 600 metres but I'm reasonably fit for my age and my son is very fit because all he does is sport.

"I think as long as we stay injury free we will be okay. Our legs will ache but it'll just be like a long day's shopping, which I try and avoid at all costs.

"We had the opprunity to take a week off so we decided to go on a walking holiday, but that was before we decided to do it for charity. When the publicity around Help for Heroes started we thought it would be a good idea to raise money for them.

"Personally I think the Govermnet should go more for them. They're sending these young lads off to war and they're coming back brutally injured and they don't get enough care. It's heart wrenching.

"People are quite happy to put money forward for this cause so we decided to go public with it.

"This is the first time I have actually organised a charity event myself. A couple of times I have felt a bit apprehensive but genereally I feel fairly confident. Ben is very excited as well. He's just been to Cornwall on a cadet course camp with his school so I imagine he's full of beans."

Go to www.justgiving.com/96togo to sponsor the duo.