Willy marches on for Forces’ charities
British Legion member Willy Munro is making it his mission to help fill a funding gap for his Easdale branch next month.
On Wednesday October 7 he plans to walk 25 miles from his home in Ellenabeich out to Melfort and back to raise as much money as he can for Armed Forces Charities.
Royal British Legion Scotland’s (RBLS) Easdale branch usually makes £4,000 to £5,000 a year through fundraising activities for veterans charities including Erskine and SSAFA – the Armed Forces charity, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association – but this year’s events had to be cancelled due to Covid-19. The inspiration for Willy’s sponsored walk is his son Niall who is a serving soldier with the Scots Guards.
‘In 2018 he was part of a Scots Guards group that walked from Ypres to London, 100 miles for 100 years since the end of the First World War and I thought our RBL branch could probably make a bit of money if we did a similar thing,’ said semi-retired orthotist Willy. Organisers helping him with the walk are also planning a grand raffle of prizes donated by generous businesses for the event that had been planned by the RBLS branch to commemorate VE and VJ Day. The hope is to sell tickets at those businesses and to have collecting tins at Seil’s two pubs to help bring in funds. A Justgiving page is also being created so people can make donations directly. ‘People are welcome to join me for all or just part of the way, although social distancing will have to be observed,’ said Willy. ‘I’ve always enjoyed walking. As a child I’d walk four miles to school and back. I’ve trekked in the Dolomites and in Norway in the past,’ said Willy, who once walked 56 miles round the perimeter of Arran in 24 hours to raise funds for a church needing a new roof. To support Willy visit www.justgiving.com/ crowdfunding/willyswander