Veterans from Grenadier Guards prepare for 130-mile journey from Clare to Lowestoft in aid of Colonel’s Fund charity

Army veterans will put their best foot forward on a cross-county endurance challenge this summer to raise money for fellow former soldiers and remember the fallen.

A team of former Grenadier Guards have begun fund-raising for their planned 130-mile journey from Clare to Lowestoft, which will take place over the course of a week in August.

Retired Grenadiers Matt Michette, Kevin Kitcher, Geoff Clampin and Steve Johnson are aiming to raise £10,000 for the Colonel’s Fund – the regiment’s charity, which supports servicemen past and present and their families.

And, with six months to go until their challenge begins on August 9, the group have already received more than £2,500 in donations.

Mr Michette, who was a lance sergeant in the Grenadiers, said the idea had been conceived by Clare Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club, a monthly meeting of military personnel from across East Anglia.

“The club has a big turnout,” he said. “We have about 25 to 30 people attend each month from all over East Anglia, so it’s quite a big catchment area.

“The walk is something I have been contemplating for a while and, at one of these meetings, I mentioned it to Kev.

“He suggested we incorporate it with visiting memorials of Grenadiers buried in Suffolk, so we changed the route to bring the memorials into it.”

Anybody who would like to donate towards the cause can do so online by going to www.justgiving.com/page/kevin-kitcher-1729886560344.

The quartet, who are being supported with logistics by fellow Grenadiers Gary Reinecke, Carl Clarke and Tony Golding, will begin their trek by walking from Clare to Cattawade, via Bures, Stoke-by-Nayland and Dedham.

From there, they will drive up to Felixstowe, before continuing on foot through Snape, Saxmundham, Laxfield and Halesworth, before ending in Lowestoft.

On the way, the team will stop to lay wreaths at the graves of four Suffolk Grenadiers, including Victoria Cross recipient Alfred Ablett, and Guardsman Glen Ling, who lost his life at Crossmaglen in 1978.

They will also remember 37 others who are named on various memorials located around the county, by laying a poppy cross and delivering a spoken transcript in honour of each.

Mr Michette, who has taken part in past fund-raising walks for charity, including a tour of the D-Day beaches in Normandy for Veterans Lifeline, praised the level of support for their upcoming challenge.

“It’s very important to us,” he added. “The Colonel’s Fund was set up by the regiment and it helps ex-Grenadiers who have been wounded in conflict, going back to World War Two.

“Some of the guys are scarred for life, mentally or physically, and all of the challenges that brings. The charity also helps their families with welfare and financial support.

“Anything we can do to help them out is good for our welfare as well. The response has been very positive so far. We’ve reached 25 per cent of our target.

“We’ve got all sorts of well wishes and great feedback. We’re really looking forward to it. We’re all training hard for it, which is good to see, and the money and well wishes coming in is spurring us on.”