Sam and Jess raise miles of cash for veterans
A FORMER soldier and his dog have been in Mid Argyll as part of a 7,700-mile walk to raise cash for veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Sam Doyle set off from Blackpool on May 29 on a clockwise trek around Britain. Last weekend he reached Inveraray and by Wednesday he was off in the Tarbert direction, accompanied by faithful lurchercross Jess. To date, Sam, 30, a former gunner with the 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery and a French Foreign Legion veteran, has raised more than £4,800 through his Justgiving page.
At the end of his trek, which Sam says ‘will take as long as it takes’, proceeds will go to PTSD Resolution charity supporting former service personnel and their families dealing with post traumatic stress disorder.
‘I’ll be honest, when I first thought of doing the walk it was all about me and just getting away. But when a friend said I should think about doing it for charity, I was well up for it,’ said Sam. ‘I was in Afghanistan in 2008 and was officially diagnosed with PTSD in 2014. I got no support from the MOD and not a lot elsewhere, so I want to try to help other people with PTSD.’
As he sets off into a Scottish winter, he uses survival skills picked up in the military, often sleeping rough – but with two-year-old Jess as company.
But as he arrived in Lochgilphead on Monday it was straight to the vet for Jess after she sprained a leg muscle on the road from Furnace. But by Wednesday she was well enough to carry on.
Next on their journey is Kintyre, then up the coast to Oban.
Before he left, Sam told the Advertiser: ‘The scenery in Scotland is brilliant and the people are so friendly. I want to say thanks to everyone who has helped me, in particular Karen Ellis and her partner Rob and Fyne Tackle for giving me a great pair of boots.’
You can support Sam by visiting his Justgiving page: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sam-doyle1