Man's 420-mile 'worthwhile' new year walk raise charity funds

A man who wanted to start 2023 doing something "worthwhile" walked 420 miles (676 km) in January to raise money for charity.

Martin Syrett, 66, walked 13.5 miles (22 km) from Clevedon to Bristol each day, encountering weather from rain and floods to ice and frost.

He was fundraising for Children's Hospice South West, which helps 500 children with life-limiting illnesses.

Mr Syrett has raised more than £3,000 with his efforts.

A keen walker, he said he wanted to raise money for the charity as his wife "used to volunteer there, so I got to find out the great work they did".

Lucy Perryman, from South West Children's Hospice, joined Mr Syrett for part of his final walk, explaining the hospice's importance to families in allowing parents to "recharge their batteries".

"We get people who say to us they turn onto the driveway and can feel their whole body just relax because they're able to come and be parents rather than carers," she said.

With staff taking over the medical responsibilities for their child they "can just have time together as a family".

Mr Syrett had his daily walk log was signed off by staff at the Merchant Arms in Bristol, where he finished each walk with a pint before hopping on the bus home.

He said he logged "42 gates and 2 styles" on his daily travels. "Thirty two are metal and 10 are wooden," he added.

Pete Dommet, landlord of Mr Syrett's local, the Fallen Tree in Clevedon, said: "He comes into the pub every week and then he disappears for a few weeks and walks around Scotland or round the coast of Yorkshire.

"Then he reappears full of tales and full of energy… he's always full of energy."

Commenting on the day after his last walk, Mr Syrett said he was going to "get up a bit later, enjoy my breakfast and spend a bit of time with my wife who I haven't seen all of January, during the day."

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