'I'm leaving my home in Shifnal to walk 1,200 miles from John O'Groats to Land's End to help the army'

Retired military veteran Barry Ince, from Shifnal, along with long-time friend and former Army colleague John McBride, who lives in Fife, are hard at work training to take on the mammoth task of walking 1,200 miles.

Aiming to cover around 80-100 miles a week and sleeping in a motorhome driven by a friend, they will set off at 9am from ‘Finger Sign Post’ at Land’s End on March 23 and hope to arrive at John O’Groats in early June. Along the way, they hope to climb Ben Nevis and should they complete the walk by the first week in June, they are also hoping to complete the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) sponsored 54-mile Cateran Yomp in 24 hours, which takes place in the Cairngorms.

“This is going to be a huge test for both of us,” says Barry, who has been completing long-distance walks around his hometown, the surrounding villages and the Wrekin as part of his training.

The pair, who have collectively served 75 years in the military, and will be raising money for four charities close to their hearts, are no strangers to pushing themselves to the limits. 

“In recent years we have completed many arduous challenges and have raised a substantial amount of money for a range of charities, somewhere in the region of £30,000 to £40,000,” says Barry. 

For John, taking on the Land’s End to John O’Groats challenge is also a chance to fulfill a long-held ambition. 

“It has always been at the back of my mind as something that I would like to do. Barry and I are such great mates so doing this together will be very, very special,” he says.

John and Barry have been busy planning their adventure for more than 12 months.

“A great deal of planning and preparation has already happened and is still ongoing to try and make this challenge as seamless as possible,” says Barry.

As the preparations for the event have gathered pace, so has the team, with the introduction of a support driver, Steve Pick, and another very good friend Paul Taylor, a serving army officer, who is helping with IT and is also acting as liaison officer for any potential military assistance.

"My daughter Marie is also playing a major part by assisting Paul with our social media sites, especially Instagram, as well as producing our advertising logos for the sportswear etc,” says Barry. 

“She is also desperately searching for potential sponsors to assist with some of our logistical and administration costs – somewhere in the region of £3,000 over the 67 days,” he adds.

As Barry is here in Shropshire and John is in Scotland, the pair have so far been unable to train together.

“Neither John nor I are ‘spring chickens’ any longer. I will be 70 and John will be 65 when we attempt this walk,” says Barry.

“Also, amongst our many age-related ailments, John has been diagnosed with blood condition called hemochromatosis and the weekly hospital treatment is restricting the number of days a week that he can now train, and I now suffer with osteoarthritis of the right knee, a debilitating and painful condition that won’t get any better and may eventually require surgery.

“This is the one main reason why John and I have decided to do this challenge now and not leave it any longer.”

To give him the best chance of completing the challenge, Barry has been hitting the trails around Shifnal.

“I know Shifnal like the back of my hand – there isn’t a track, field, or woodland around Shifnal that I don’t know. I also go to Beckbury, Kemberton and Ryton and I try to go up the Wrekin once a week.

“We’ve got to get the training in now, as much as it hurts, to prepare our bodies. I try to do three or four days of hard training and a couple of days of light training to rest my legs,” he explains. 

Spurring them on is their desire to raise as much money as they can for their chosen charities. 

Fifty per cent of the money they raise will be donated to Cancer Research UK and they will also be donating 30 per cent to the Army Benevolent Fund.

Barry has chosen to give 10 per cent to Midlands Air Ambulance and John has selected Fife-based charity Include Me to receive the remaining 10 per cent.

“The reason we have chosen Cancer Research UK is that we all know someone who has been affected by cancer. The Army Benevolent Fund helps soldiers and their families that have fallen on hard times. John and I had a very long career in the military and came out relatively unscathed but that’s not the case for many others.”

John is the chairman of his chosen charity, Include Me, which provides citizen advocacy for vulnerable adults.

“We help to give people a voice and make sure their choices and feelings are heard. Like all charities, we’re desperate for money to continue supporting people,” he explains.

The pair are still fine tuning the route which will take in part of Shropshire, including Ludlow, Craven Arms, Much Wenlock, Ironbridge, Coalport, Kemberton and Shifnal. 

Along the way, they are planning to stay in campsites, when available, to take advantage of shower and laundry facilities. “We also plan to park in car parks, pub car parks and other local facilities where possible,” says Barry.

“Some campsite owners and publicans have already offered their sites free of charge, for which we are extremely grateful, as this reduces our total overheads and allows us to raise the maximum for each charity.

“Anyone helping out in this way will be advertised and thanked on our social media pages as we progress, unless of course they wish to remain anonymous.

“We are also really hoping that if we are passing close by to friends, family, acquaintances, friends of friends etc., that they will offer their support. This could be a hot shower, a bit of food, a driveway or location where we can plug in the motorhome overnight or even a spare bed. Any support will be most gratefully received.”

The pair are also hoping lots people will turn out to take part and join them at different stages of the route. “It could be for part of a route, a full day, a couple of days, or any combination. You don’t even need to walk with us, just come along and say hello and maybe even share a beer in the evening.

“We would all love to see as many people as possible as we make our way through Shropshire and any other part of the trail,” says Barry.

Anyone interested in sponsoring Barry and John can get in contact through their Facebook page or email barryandjohnlejogcharitywalk@gmail.com

Barry and John’s fundraising page can be found at www.givewheel.com/fundraising/5787/lejog/

To follow Barry and John’s adventures, see www.facebook.com/people/Barry-And-John-LE-JOG-Charity-Walk/61569754324449

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