Retired armed forces man raising £3,500 for charity by trekking across Iceland

A former member of the armed forces from Rochdale is raising money for MIND by trekking across the lava fields of Iceland.

Kevin Hughes is taking on the demanding 58km challenge to help raise awareness of mental health and fund their services. To date, he has raised £2,610 of his £3,500 target.

He said: “After retiring from the armed forces in February 2017, I selfishly decided to use up my spare time to keep myself in shape.

"Staying focused on my new ambitions, it seemed like a good idea to raise funds for local charities.

"I have walked many challenges, including The Cateran Yomp twice. The SF Experience twice. The Yorkshire three peaks, The National three peaks and much more helping to raise necessary funds for H4H, The Soldiers Charity, Blesma and several local charities.

“I was truly inspired by the MIND advert on social media and the more I read about this, the more interested I became. I took a day out of work to visit my local MIND centre, and I was amazed at the amount of dedication the staff have and all of this, self-funded.

“To my astonishment, I learned that most of the people that work are volunteers and former sufferers of mental health issue. There are lots of people who suffer in silence, who will normally call on their GP for medication, when really all they require is guidance and support.

“If I can help spread awareness about mental health by doing charity walks and funding their services, then I will continue to do so.”

The MIND Iceland Lava Trek takes place over four days in August, crossing the paths of thundering volcanos, majestic waterfalls, steaming lava fields and fjords. A good level of fitness and training is required as days are long with a variety of terrains and unpredictable weather.

To donate, visit:

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/KevinHughes18