A group of veterans have successfully walked 40 miles in support of a vital service – with 40 more to go.
Benji’s Bandits are a team of ex-forces personnel who attend the Veterans Hub in Weymouth and this year, they are taking up a challenge to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
The team of eight have successfully walked the first 40 miles across Dorset from Swanage, all the way back to the Veterans Hub on Portland Road, Weymouth.
So far, they have raised around £2,000 for the hub, which has found itself in financial difficulty over the past year.
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Tim Creed, a member of Benji’s Bandits, explained that the group have undertaken this challenge in hopes that any funds raised will ‘help to keep the hub running well so that it can keep doing the good job that it does, but also to make more people aware of what it’s there for.’
He added: “It needs all the money it can get. So far, we have raised around £2,000.”
Despite completing a gruelling 40-mile walk, the challenge does not stop there as on September 7 and 8, the team take on ‘the 44 miles of D-Day beaches in France.’
The team will travel to Normandy where they will walk 44 miles from Pointe du Hoc to Pegasus Bridge, across the beaches that allied forces landed on during D-Day.
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Mr Creed said: “Our Dorset Walk went really well. It was quite challenging on the Saturday and there was a lot of climbing up and down. Sunday was a bit longer as it was just over 20 miles.
“A few members have got sore feet and blisters. I’m aching just a little bit. Out of the eight of us, seven members are all over 50.
“We have had a lot of support from people on the way. They have ben stopping and speaking with us and we would just like to thank people for all their support. It means a lot.”
Following the first stint, Mr Creed reckons that the group are ‘more confident,’ for their trip to France, joking, ‘I don’t think the hills are as big in France.’
The group taking part in the huge challenge have called themselves Benji’s Bandits after the beloved hub dog Benji.
If you would like to donate to the fundraiser, visit: https://donorbox.org/benjis-bandits-d-day-challenge.
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