Military charity ‘Walking With The Wounded’ has said it will treble the number of ex-servicemen and women it supports in 2018, following a 97 per cent increase last year to more than 1,000.
In a statement, the charity said that, as Christmas approaches, more ex-service personnel than ever require support, as Christmas can be a time of financial pressure and loneliness.
To help, Walking With the Wounded has targeted the city of Newcastle in particular, to help raise money for its seasonal appeal, Walking Home for Christmas.
The charity hopes to raise £250,000 to help change the lives of more than 400 men and women. The campaign is supported by local firm Wolsey, who during World War 1 supplied over 18 million woollen jerseys, scarves and pieces of underwear to the British armed forces.
Andy Sloan, events manager for the charity, said, ‘Too many of our ex-military have little to look forward to this Christmas. They’ve walked in far more dangerous environments for us, so it is the least we can all do to organise a walk for them’.
