Scarborough Veteran Raises Nearly £10,000 in Gruelling Cross-Country Charity Challenge

A pair of Yorkshire Regiment Veterans say they fundraising dash has now raised nearly ten thousand pounds.

Lee Holmes, a veteran from the Yorkshire Regiment living in Scarborough, successfully completed an arduous endurance challenge earlier this year and says the total raised through the challenge is now nearly £10,000.

Alongside fellow veteran Doug Lincoln, Mr Holmes embarked on what they described as a "masochistic journey of self-inflicted misery", travelling approximately 600 miles from the UK to France with minimal resources.

The V.E. Anniversary Hard Routine Charity Tour saw the duo depart on May 1st and arrive at their destination by May 7th. The challenge commenced from the Green Howard Museum in Richmond, UK, and concluded at the Green Howard memorial at Crépon, France.

Lee says their journey was entirely unsupported and had a number of rules and restrictions

"I'm a veteran of the Second Battalion Yorkshire regiment, currently living in Scarborough.

Myself and my colleague Doug, we wanted to raise some money for some local veteran charities. 

On May the first we left the Green Howards Museum in Richmond,  and we made our way in time for VE Day to the Green Howards Memorial in Crepon France that allowed us to commemorate our regiment's history, but also tie in with VE Day as well .

We had to travel  in seven days, we had no money, and we had to use any means of transport that came up utilizing witty banter, bartering skills.  But we were only allowed to utilize transport for 90 minutes a day. 

It was a physical challenge, but it was also a challenge of initiative as well.

We made it on the seventh, we arrived in Crepon at about eight in the morning on the seventh.

The fund is still open. We're close to raising 10 grand "

Speaking about their motivation, Lee shared that like many veterans, he and Mr Lincoln have "struggled to let go of our military pasts, knowing that we will never again be that ally!". Their aim was to continue helping veterans locally. This ambitious undertaking followed their previous success in 2024, when they completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge in nine hours with other veterans, raising £3000 for the Royal Yorkshire Regiment Benevolent Fund.

However, the veterans realised that the widespread nature of common charity walks, such as the Three Peaks, limited their fundraising potential. Mr Holmes noted that "social media and the internet absolutely groans at the seams with people doing similar walks for charity", leading them to decide to "inflict maximum misery on ourselves in the name of charity" for their latest endeavour.

The rules for their "Hard Routine Charity Tour" were stringent:

• They operated with no access to money, except for an emergency plan.
• All essential survival gear, including sleeping kit, water, and seven days' worth of rations, had to be carried throughout the journey.
• Despite the significant distance, transport was restricted to 90 minutes per day. Lifts could only be acquired by bartering for freebies, thumbing rides, or gaining assistance from supporters or kind strangers. Mr Holmes explained that this rule forced them to "put ourselves out there in order to make things happen," describing it as both a physical challenge and one of "initiative". He also reflected on the "emotional roller coaster" of trying to secure lifts.
• They maintained a "hard routine" existence, eating cold food, sleeping outdoors with just sleeping bags and ponchos, and relying on free means to top up water supplies from sources like pubs or outdoor water.

To further boost donations, the veterans also incorporated "misery miles" challenges. For an hour each day, via social media live streams on platforms like Facebook and TikTok, donors could offer contributions in return for seeing Mr Holmes and Mr Lincoln perform "challenging, disgusting, ridiculous and hilarious" tasks, such as walking backwards for a period or cycling a child's bike.

Lee says the challenge was taxing both physically and mentally but lead to an amazing and humbling experience.

"Some days we were doing 20 odd miles on foot,  when you're doing that for two or three days consecutively, it does take its toll. And then there was the, mental element of like, if we're gonna get a lift today, where are we getting it from?

So we went to services. Sometimes we were unsuccessful, but sometimes people were seeing what we were doing on social media and they were turning up at the side of the road and offering us 30 minutes down the road.

So  it was an emotional rollercoaster  day one we slept in a field between an industrial estate and,  a housing estate in Barnsley.

Second day we slept beside a bush,  in a field near a railway station.

And day six we slept on, a small hill besides Sword Beach in France, which was obviously the site of the D-day landings.

That was, that was almost a humbling spiritual experience, if you will. "

The money raised will benefit two charities dedicated to supporting veterans:

• Combat Stress: This UK charity offers free, specialist mental health services for former military personnel dealing with issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety, aiming to help them rebuild their lives.
• The Royal Yorkshire Regiment Benevolent Fund: This fund provides essential financial assistance and support to past and present members of the Yorkshire Regiment and their families, covering needs such as medical costs, home adaptations, or emergency living expenses. It also supports those who served in the founding regiments, including The Green Howards.

The fundraising page can be found at 

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