Intrepid teams of Derwen College students, staff and supporters have signed up to a virtual walk which covers the length of Britain in just one month.

Teams of six are walking 874 miles in 31 days, an average of five miles every day throughout August for every participant. Walkers are taking on the challenge to raise money to support students at Shropshire specialist further education college Derwen College. And with more than three weeks to go, there’s still time for more teams to join in!

Each walker will be logging individual walks every day to make up the distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats for the Derwen LEJOG Challenge.

So far four teams of six are taking on the challenge to walk and raise funds to support students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at the Gobowen college. The funds help finance their learning, work placements and independence skills.

Many of the walkers were keen to do their bit for the charity after a planned Snowdon challenge was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The charity has also suffered losses from the cancellation of its top fundraising events, the annual Sponsored Walk and Summer Fete.

Derwen College fundraiser Anna Evans is taking part, and is keen for supporters to join in the challenge or back walkers by making a donation.

She said: “Like most charities, we have felt the impact of the pandemic with a huge loss of funds in 2020. Sadly, we have had to cancel our main fundraising events, and estimate that we have lost more than £50,000 in donations this year.

“I am over the moon that students, staff and other supporters have agreed to take on this difficult challenge to help recoup some of our losses. With the backing of sponsors, we believe that blisters will be worth the effort.”

To make a donation to Derwen College Charity LEJOG walkers go to https://bit.ly/DerwenLEJOG

To find out more about taking part, email anna.evans@derwen.ac.uk

Fundraiser Anna Evans and daughter Gweni Roberts, from Oswestry, take a hike to the top of Oswestry Hillfort.

Derwen College designer Sally Harris keeps on clocking up the mileage whilst on holiday with her family on the Tissington Trail, near Ashborne, in the Peak District.