Round Wales for charity
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Former corporal Mark Newton will be relying on his mobility scooter to help take him to the four corners of Wales to ensure the cash rolls in for Help For Heroes, the Royal British Legion and 1st Battalion The Queen's Dragoon Guards fund. The 44-year-old, of Loughor, is aiming to travel more than 1,200 miles in 46 days in aid of servicemen injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said: "It might kill me or might cure me — it's giving me a real challenge. "I will start out on May 1 from the car park in Bynea at the Millennium Coastal Park. "I will be travelling to Amroth, St David's, Newquay, Barmouth, Anglesey, Knighton and Caldicott — along with the rest of the coast and the borders. If it all goes well I will go around Britain." He added: "It would be nice to get a penny per person in Wales — as that alone would be £30,000." Mr Newton, served with 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards for five years, along with the Birmingham Regiment prior to that for two years, and toured Nortern Ireland twice, plus Cyprus and Germany. It was while he was in Cyprus in 1991 that he dislocated his knee during physical training — compressing the joint and leading to 12 operations. He couldn't feel anything below the knee and his health problems forced him to give up work. He said he chose spring to stage the fundraiser, as there would be less weather pressure on the mobility scooter. Mr Newton added: "I loved my job (with the army) and I wanted to give something back." Anyone else wishing to support the ex-serviceman either through publicising the challenge, or to pledge a donation, can do so by logging onto www.roundwales.co.uk |
