By Ben Stevens
A group of serving members of the British army are among those walking the total length of the Maginot Line to raise money for a charity that supports army veterans.
‘Team Bimble’ from around Leicestershire and Rutland and aged 25 to 41, are walking 280 miles in total over a ten-day period which began last Thursday and will culminate in a walk around the edge of Rutland Water on the 19th December for the charity Walking With The Wounded.
Comprising of those currently in the forces and a full time NHS nurse, the group have already raised over £500, but hope to raise even more.
Roisin Conde-Wilcock, among those walking, said: “This charity works closely with the NHS and they provide amazing support for veterans, whether it’s housing, monetary support or mental health services.
“Every year they do Walking Home for Christmas, which has had more of a push this year due to the lack of funding.”
Support for veterans has been cut in recent years, with the COVID-19 pandemic worsening the situation.
Ms Conde-Wilcock added: “The guys who are currently serving obviously know how important it is to receive mental health support.
“COVID-19 is affecting mental health more than ever before, so if charities do not fundraise then those who are vulnerable become even more vulnerable.”
Walking with the Wounded has been very successful in the past in providing support for veterans.
In 2019, the charity supported almost 2,000 individual veterans and provided over 4,000 mental health support sessions to veterans and their families with 86p of every pound going straight to those in need.
If you would like to donate to ‘Team Bimble’ and their cause, you can do so by clicking the link: https://www.walkinghomeforchristmas.com/teams/team-bimble?fbclid=IwAR3_nJWNvI_DXXTqeC6bKVa8BPT-cy467ZbFzpvLaXGUXb-uxdP8JTsCzsI
