FORMER Launceston College pupil, Richard Harries, will walk largely unsupported from Land’s End to John O’Groats next March to raise money for Global Angels.

The 66-year-old lived in the town until the age of 19 and now resides in the Lincolnshire town of Market Rasen with his wife Anna.

However, he still comes back to Launceston three or four times a year to visit his 95-year-old mum Jenny who lives at Pendruccombe House.

He has worked at the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby as a cardio-radiologist for the last 33 years even though he has now gone part-time and spends his time doing triathlons and other outdoor activities.

Always eager to broaden his horizons, Richard says the ‘challenge’ is what has enticed him to take on the titanic trek from one side of the British Isles to another.

Richard said: “To be honest I’m a sucker for challenges. As I’ve got older I like them more and I want to know if I can, and how I’ll react when the going gets tough.

The other big reason is that I want to raise money for, and awareness of, a charity called Global Angels.”

Global Angels (https://globalangels.org/) does charity work in some of the poorest places on earth. Since its inception in 2005, it has provided safe drinking water to over 160,000 people, provided medical care to another 170,000 and trained 60 medics.

Over two-million meals have been supplied through a school feeding programme and over 13,500 children are being educated in schools or classrooms built by Global Angels.

Currently a pilot programme in Tsavo, Kenya, is bringing water, education, energy and social empowerment to 2,000 people with a projected roll-out to 20,000 by 2023.”

Richard said: “Global Angels a small charity run on simple lines. All donations go directly to the projects. They provide basics for people such as water, education and basic health. They’re also supported by Prince Harry and Prince William and I have great respect for what they do.”

The challenge itself is epic. The traditional distance by road is 874-miles although Richard believes it’ll be closer to a 1,000 miles when walking.

He said: “It’s going to take about six weeks and I’ll be walking about 25 miles a day. I’m planning to start on March 1 and end in mid April.

“I want to raise about £5,000 and I’m going to start planning some fundraising activities in the near future. People have been in contact on Facebook and Twitter so hopefully we’ll do well.”

This isn’t the first endurance event, Richard has done. He’s ran seven London Marathon’s as well a Bear Grylls survival course in the Scottish Highlands and last year climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. He’s already started training for the walk and has already thought about the issues he’ll face.

Richard said: “I’ve begun my training by walking with a rucksack and I’ll gradually increase the distance and get used to wild camping, which I’ll be doing most of the time, although I’ll occasionally stop at friends and family so I can get dry for a while.

“Apart from the physical side of it, it’s going to be mentally challenging. Being on my own for such long periods of time is going to be difficult but I’m determined to do it. If anyone would like to join me even for a couple of hours or would like to donate then I’d be extremely happy.”

To donate to Richard’s walk, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/richard-harries4 or to find out more search ‘Richard’s Land’s End to John O’ Groats Walk 2018’.