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Coast-to-coast for charity cash

14/11/2007

AN Ashton soldier is gearing up for an extra special challenge.

Gareth Edwards, who is in the 330 EOD Royal Engineers, based in Cambridge, is cycling from John O’ Groats to Lands’ End to raise money for army charity BLESMA, the British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association.

Inspired by a fellow soldier from Wales who had his leg blown off while serving in Iraq, the former Hartshead pupil, who joined the army four months after leaving school, will begin the coast-to-coast trip on 19 November.

He hopes to finish on 7 December and will be spending the nights at army barracks across the country.

"There’s six of us doing it, all from the same squadron," said Gareth, 20.

"We were going to do it from coast-to-coast east to west, ending up in Blackpool but people got over excited and we ended up doing it the other way!"

Gareth, whose father was also in the army, in the Welsh Guards, is a bomb disposal technician. He has already been to Kenya with the army and is off to Belize in May on a clearance operation.

He has already raised £500 in sponsorship. The group have raised £5,000 in total.

Gareth said: "We’ve only just got the bikes so we’ve not done any real training but I’m sure most of us are fit enough!"

The charity, which is supported entirely by voluntary subscription, works to help ex service men and women who have lost their limbs or sight. They also assist their relatives, in particular widows of those who have been killed.

Anyone wishing to sponsor Gareth can contact the charity on 02085901124 or call into the Advertiser office on Booth Street, Ashton, and sign a sponsor form.

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