Former soldier from Thrapston raises tens of thousands of pounds for veterans

Matt Ellmer walked 182 miles from the west to east coast
Matt Ellmer at the start of his coast to coast walkMatt Ellmer at the start of his coast to coast walk
Matt Ellmer at the start of his coast to coast walk

A former soldier from Thrapston has raised tens of thousands of pounds for a charity that supports veterans and their families.

Matt Ellmer, a former member of the British Army's Grenadier Guards, walked 182 miles from St Bees on the west coast to Robin Hood’s Bay on the east coast in aid of The Colonel's Fund with his walking partner Andy Green.

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They set off on September 3 and Matt said began to question the accuracy of the distances in Alfred Wainright's guide to the walk as his smartwatch begged to differ at times.

Matt Ellmer with his walking partner Andy Green at the end of their coast to coast walk in Robin Hood's BayMatt Ellmer with his walking partner Andy Green at the end of their coast to coast walk in Robin Hood's Bay
Matt Ellmer with his walking partner Andy Green at the end of their coast to coast walk in Robin Hood's Bay

Matt said the toughest part of the walk was from Patterdale to Shap in the Lake District and he had to dig deep at times.

On September 17, Matt updated his Just Giving page and said: "Day 16 done, 19.52 miles and walked 41,100 steps.

"It was a long hard slog, digging deep and at 6.45pm we arrived in Robin Hood's Bay and the walk was complete.

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"Two old Grenadiers have walked the coast to coast raising money for the Col's Fund."

Matt works as the regimental casualty officer for The Colonel's Fund, which is part of the Grenadier Guards Charity and supports families of those killed in action, those wounded or injured on operations and their families.

The charity currently supports 18 bereaved families and 72 former Grenadiers with life-changing physical and mental injuries sustained through their time in the Army.

The charity also works to support those who have to leave the Army and find new jobs and settle into their communities.

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Matt initially aimed to raise £15,000 and donations to his JustGiving page have hit £15,900 but with donations from other organisations such as the Rotary and Masonic clubs, his total has surpassed £20,000.

Writing on his Just Giving page, Matt said: "We have reached our target and gone past it.

"Thank you to you all for your generosity."

The page is still open to anyone who still wants to donate and you can find it here.

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