Daniel Brooks will march 117 miles from his local pub to Gretna Green, Scotland, to raise money for Derian House Children’s Hospice.
The 35-year-old will wave goodbye to his partner and three-year-old daughter on Tuesday, 6 September as he embarks upon his four-day challenge that begins at The White Horse pub in Edgeworth.
Daniel hopes to find places to stay along the way, with a one-man tent on his back as a back-up plan, and will live-stream his journey as he goes. So far, he has raised £1,170 with the hope of smashing his target of £2,500.
Daniel, who is a Senior Learning and Organisational Development Professional at the British Medical Association, said: “I want to raise as much money as humanly possible for the children at Derian House. This challenge is for them.
“I might be doing the walking, but this challenge is a team effort – we need as many people as possible to donate so that we can positively impact as many beautiful young lives as we can.
“I’ve always given to charities and I’ve been involved with Derian House before – I’ve taken part in raffles and have signed up to the Derian lottery – but I want to do something more. Derian makes such a difference for their families locally, and as a local Bolton lad, I want to do what I can to help.
“People would never know about the impact they make, the work they do, without being directly in contact with Derian. Since I’ve had a little girl it has really hit home how important the charity is for so many families.
“In terms of training, I’ve been doing as much as I can with the time I’ve got. I’ve been walking and jogging at lunch times and trying to get out in the evenings. This is going to be a hellish mental and physical challenge for me.”
When asked why he chose to take on this challenge, Daniel said: “Besides insanity? I guess the answer is that I want to do something remarkable for remarkable people – for all the people at Derian. It’s everything they’re about, everything they do.
“My mate will be waiting at the finish line to drive me back home – I’m definitely not walking back! When I get home, I think I’ll probably give everyone a big hug and a kiss and then treat myself to a good sit down and a big meal.
“I look forward to finishing the walk, but it’s nothing compared to what the people at Derian House do for families. I will be so proud to know that, as a team, we did it – we made a difference.”
Ann-Marie Fishwick, Community Fundraiser at Derian House, said: “Daniel’s crazy challenge has grabbed everyone’s attention. We’re looking forward to watching his live stream as he goes!
“We couldn’t do what we do without kind-hearted people, like Daniel, who go that extra mile – literally – to raise money for our 450 children and their families. We wish him the best of luck on his journey!”
