Paul takes steps to boost Legion funds
ALANDSCAPE gardener has raised more than £400 for the Royal British Legion (RBL) by walking 100 miles throughout the month of April.
Paul Ellison has so far raised £405 for the charity, which provides financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, by walking near to his home in Norden.
The national campaign saw hundreds of walkers tackle the challenge, which Paul says has raised nearly a quarter of a million pounds for RBL.
He added that the walks had the added bonus of improving his fitness as well as raising money. Paul said: “I enjoyed it. “You’re killing two birds with one stone - you’re keeping fit and you’re raising money for a good cause. Finishing it, you feel accomplished so it’s a job well done.
“Some days I went out for hours and hours and really got the miles in. I had a month to do it so I was averaging three miles a day.
“If you need to get some milk normally you’d decide to jump in the car and go down to the Co-op but you’d walk instead - I tried to do as much walking as possible.”
As a member of Rochdale in Bloom, Paul said RBL was a charity close to his heart as he had been involved in many projects to honour the fallen - including restoring the town’s war memorial.
He said: “I’ve always supported the Royal British Legion.
“It’s something close to my heart.
“For example, with the In Bloom stuff a lot of the work I’ve put in over the years has been related to war memorials.
“Hopefully they will carry it on next year and we can get more people involved.
“It means it’s not just the poppy appeal in November, which is where they get most of their funding from.”
Paul also wanted to thank everyone who had donated and supported him throughout April.
“Thank you to everyone who’s supported me while doing it - whether it’s a penny, a pound or £20 it all goes toward a good cause,” he said.
“I’ve always supported the Royal British Legion. It’s something close to my heart.”