A six-year-old boy is braving high winds on a 30-mile trek from Filey to Whitby to raise funds for armed forces veterans living in care homes.
A 30-mile coastal trek will raise vital funds for military veterans living in residential care thanks to the efforts of a six-year-old boy.
Young Oliver set off from Filey on Tuesday and is battling strong coastal winds as he makes his way north towards Whitby. The six-year-old is expected to cross the finish line at the Whitby Abbey Visitor Centre on Wednesday afternoon.
He is walking alongside Gemma, who explained that the pair had to alter their route to avoid the worst of the coastal weather.
Gemma said:
"Me and my little boy Oliver we're walking from Filey to Whitby to raise money for veterans in care. It's a fantastic charity.
We followed the kind of King Charles coast line and then we cut across Scarborough to the Cinder track because of the the wind. The wind wasn't pleasant upon those cliffs.
We're going from Ravenscar to Robin Hood's Bay into Whitby then we need to go around Whitby and up to the Abbey."
The challenging conditions on the cliff tops made the walk difficult for the young fundraiser, though a well-earned break provided some relief.
Oliver said:
"The up bits were hard, because they was they were like dragging backwards the wind was just dragging you backwards really.
And then the bits that were easy, well, not easy, but all right, they were just like the smooth bit where the wind was just dragging it back a little bit.
We had a little pit stop in Scarborough, and I got cherry cherry cheesecake.
I've enjoyed it. The views been nice from quite a mile away or something."
The funds raised from the two-day walk will go to Veterans for Veterans in Care, a registered, veteran-led charity. The organisation is dedicated to identifying and supporting former members of the Armed Forces who have moved into care homes.
The initial fundraising target was quickly surpassed as supporters backed the six-year-old's efforts.
Gemma said:
"We only set out to raise a couple of hundred pound but Olly's done great and he's raised over 600 pound at the moment, on his Just Giving link and he's raising money for veterans in care and they're a fantastic charity that support veterans in care homes. So they send veterans into care homes to support other veterans.
It's a fantastic charity. It's definitely needed because veterans do need a different approach than a lot of people in care."
Charity officials estimate that approximately 26,000 veterans are currently living in care homes across England and Wales.
Veterans for Veterans in Care operates under the motto that they are there to find and help a forgotten army. The charity believes that no veteran should ever feel forgotten simply because they have moved into residential care.
Through a dedicated visitor programme, volunteer veterans regularly visit care homes to provide companionship, friendship, and military camaraderie to older veterans, many of whom are in their eighties, nineties, or over one hundred years old.
The charity also delivers empowerment workshops to care home staff to help them better understand the Armed Forces community and the specific needs of veterans. Alongside these educational efforts, the organisation supports care homes in becoming more veteran-friendly. They organise regular social gatherings, coffee mornings, and special events designed to reconnect elderly veterans with their military community and prevent isolation.
A welcoming committee will be waiting for Oliver when he completes his 30-mile challenge on Wednesday.
Representatives from the Armed Forces community, local dignitaries, and members of the Little Hands Big Hearts Club will gather at the Whitby Abbey Visitor Centre between 3:00 pm and 3:30 pm.
Charity team members will proudly carry the King's Colours and present the six-year-old with a large ceremonial cheque to mark his extraordinary fundraising journey and his dedication to supporting the older generation of veterans.
Oliver's Just Giving page is at :
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