Tuesday 22nd May 2012

One intrepid Chesterfield veteran is about to don his hiking boots in aid of The Mayor's Appeal and walk over 200 miles to raise cash to help serving soldiers and their families, and also those whose lives are turned upside down with cancer.



John Collins (above) is 65 and Chesterfield born and bred. He served with the Royal Engineers for many years and still regularly supports forces charities. Next Friday (25th May) he will begin a 220-mile walk that will take him across the Border area of Scotland, from Port Patrick near Stranraer to just outside Berwick on Tweed where he'll finish on the 14th June.

For 20 days he will camp each night and walk around 15 miles a day.

He's a regular walker - and this won't be the first long distance trek he's completed in a good cause, as he told us earlier, "About 9 years ago, I did John O'Groats to Lands End in aid of the Sheffield Kidney Research Foundation, and I raised £10,000. Since then I've done the odd walk for Help for Heroes. It's my passion - walking - and I'm pleased to be able to use that for a good cause."

The Mayoral Charities this year, as announced last week by the 372nd Mayor of Chesterfield, Councillor Donald Parsons and the Mayoress, his wife Diane, are: The Nenna kind Cancer Drop in Centre; The Chesterfield and Staveley Armed Forces Days and also the Afghan Shoebox Appeal.

The latter is something which John is particularly proud to support, "I work closely with Peter and Ethel Lawrence who are the driving forces behind this Shoe Box appeal. Since it started, we've sent out over 4,000 boxes full of basic toiletries and anything that the lads can't get on the force bases."

Anyone who would like to help, please contact John, or his wife, Chris, on 01246 236932, or pop along to the Nenna kind Centre in the upstairs of the Dents chemists building where forms are held.

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