MAKING STRIDES FOR CHARITY
An intrepid walker and his trusty canine sidekick are stepping out on an arduous journey to raise funds for a good cause.
Tim Jones and his Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Monty, are aiming to cover the entire 6,000-mile coastline of Great Britain and its islands — a mammoth challenge that could take them up to four years to complete.
After recently facing eviction and being unable to find work, Tim decided to put the hard times behind him and fulfil his dream of embarking on this epic hike in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
The pair set off from Exmouth Lifeboat Station in Devon on a freezing mid-January morning, and aim to raise £500,000 for the charity that saves lives at sea, visiting all 192 UK lifeboat stations along the way.
“It’s going to be hard work,” admitted Tim. “I’ve done a lot of walking in the past — weeks here and there — but nothing on this scale. I’m not sure how Monty’s going to do, but I don’t think he’ll struggle — he’s got a lot more energy than I have, but I’ll just have to take it easy on him and see how he goes.
“I’ve wanted to do this walk for a few years and now the time’s just right. It’s a big decision, but it’s motivating me that I’m not just doing it for myself. The fact that I’m raising money for the lifeboats is pushing me to do it.
“I’ve always loved being by the sea and admired the difficult work of the RNLI, so choosing a charity to support was easy.
“The fact that its volunteers go out in all conditions to save people is amazing, and I just wanted to give something back.”
● Follow Tim’s progress on the Supporters of Tim ‘Walking the British coastline for RNLI’ Facebook page or donate at www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/timsrnli