Bletchley man to walk 191 miles for VE Day charity fundraiser

Kristian Lewis, 24, is aiming to arrive at the bridge in Normandy on Thursday May 8, the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day).

VE Day marks the surrender of all German military operations, and the end of the Second World War.

Kristian is aiming to raise funds for the London-based charity Taxi for Military Veterans, which collects veterans from all over the city for days out, entertainment and trips overseas.

In order to fund Taxi for Military Veterans, the charity relies on donations from the public and organisations, and London licensed taxis to provide their vehicles and time for free.

Kristian has calculated that he will walk 191 miles, and says the project is still in the early stages of planning.

"I am not sure about the start date yet, but think I will need at least four days," he said.

Kristian came across the charity through the Lee Enfield Project, which is on a mission to meet Britain’s last surviving Second World War veterans.

"I wanted to choose a veterans’ charity and read more about this one and decided it was the one I wanted to help," he added.

"I think the amount of respect for war veterans is going downhill, and I would like to see the great work the Taxi for Military Veterans does continue."

Kristian had been due to join the British Army in 2020, however the coronavirus pandemic delayed the start of his course by three months.

"I struggled with my mental health during the lockdown caused by COVID, and although I enjoyed the six weeks of my training course I decided it was not the right time to take the next steps," he admitted.

Kristian, who works part-time as a driving instructor and part-time as a delivery driver for the supermarket Tesco, said he was hoping to raise as much as possible through his charity walk.

Kristian has set himself an initial target of raising £1,000, and donations can be made through his GoFundMe page.

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