Lincolnshire man's round Britain walk funds mental health care for children for two years

But the certificate will soon have to be thrown away and updated, says Howard Wilson, MCF Trustee and Chair of the Fundraising Committee, who presented it. He said: “Earlier this week we printed one saying he’d raised £75,000; today I have one saying £80,000, and already he’s exceeded that.”

Howard explained what Chris’s fundraising efforts meant to the charity. He said: “We have started helping children suffering with mental health issues; the money Chris has raised by completing this walk means he has single-handedly covered the cost of that work nationally for two years. It’s a magnificent achievement.”

Chris, from Woodhall Spa, embarked on his walk around the entire coastline of mainland Britian with a ‘shoot for the moon’ fundraising target of £100,000 to thank the charity for the help of its counselling service, which he is convinced brought him back from the brink of suicide.

Leaving on New Year’s Day 2023 from the Freemasons’ centre in Skegness, he arrived back there on December 14th last year. He brought the endeavour to a close with a finale event at the Doubletree by Hilton in Lincoln, during which he shared details of some of the privations involved in walking almost 6,500 miles – such as the discovery that clotted cream and his digestive system aren't the best of friends. Said Chris: "Lots of places are closing public toilets. It wasn't a happy time."

The talk, attended by about 100 people, was followed by an auction raising more than £3,000 towards his ambition to raise £100,000. Up for auction were 'unbuyable' gifts Chris had been given during his travels, such as a bottle of port signed by every one of the yeoman wardens at the Tower of London, and spirits produced exclusively for the SAS and Special Boat Squadron.

Said Chris: "We've drawn a line under the walk now. It's time to move on and do something else." That said, he is working on a book which he hopes will help others who might be undergoing the same mental health anguish which led him to pull on his boots. He said: "I'd intended just to set off on my own with no sort of fuss; it didn't work out quite like that..."

The walk in numbers

2 years

4 shirts, three hats, one set of walking poles - but only two pairs of pants and socks

6 pairs of boots

110 Masonic Centres visited

427 nights in a tent

72 nights indoors, including caravans, a boat, motorhomes, a masonic hall, a church, a beer festival marquee stage, but only two beaches...

378 days walked

6,479 miles walked

13,324,917 steps taken

44 Masonic Provinces visited; 21 in England and Wales; 23 in Scotland

12 islands walked on: Orkney, Skye, Mull, Aaran, Anglesey, Scilly, Jersey, Guernsey, Isle

of Wight, Hayling Island, Portsea, and the Isle of Man

£83,000 raised for the Masonic Charitable Foundation, including gift aid, by the finale on February 15th

1,935 pints drunk (which works out at almost 27 miles to the gallon...)