A GROUP of Coventry friends braved a gruelling 100km walk over just two days to raise cash for Mind in memory of their ‘charming’ friend Tom, who died last June.
The group raised over £6,300 for the charity through the ‘Peak District challenge’, which saw them trek through Derbyshire.
They completed 52km on the first day and 48km on the second, including fighting their way through thunderstorms towards the end of their journey.
The group had attended the Heart of England school with Tom and had remained friends for the next 15 years.
Tom’s death, which came shortly after he graduated from Gloucester University, left his friends devastated and led to them facing challenging times as a group as they came to terms with their loss.
Tom passed away last June. s
They had all enjoyed playing sports and being active along with Tom growing up and so wanted to organise a fund-raiser that would test them to the limit.
Ben Tidy suggested they took on their charity walk, with the group choosing to raise cash for Mind due to Tom’s battles with mental health.
He said: “Tom had a charming way about him that would always brighten up any room he was in.
“So raising money for Mind seemed like the obvious choice.
“Tom would have laughed at us struggling through the challenge, but we all know he’d be really proud of what we achieved.”
Tom’s parents and sister were awaiting the group at the end of their journey to cheer them on, something Ben described as a ‘very special moment.’
He added: “Mentally, we were never going to quit, but towards the end, physically, our bodies were close to giving up.
“But the thought that what we were doing was for Tom kept us going – he was our driving force and that was what got us through.
“We will miss ‘Our Tom’ forever, but I really hope the money we’ve raised goes towards helping someone else battling with their mental health.”
Visit www.justgiving.com/team/forourtom to donate to their cause.
