Cancer charity pulling military gun 1,000 miles

Volunteers from the charity Military vs Cancer are raising money by pulling a field gun across the country

Volunteers from a Doncaster-based charity are pulling a one-tonne field gun the length of Britain to raise money for service men and women affected by cancer.

Organised by Military vs Cancer, hundreds of people are helping to drag the artillery canon 1,000 miles (1,609km) from John O'Groats to Land's End, via a series of checkpoints.

The challenge, which started on 1 September and is expected to take 45 days, has so far raised over £60,000 to support military personnel diagnosed with cancer.

Warrant Officer David Bathgate, who founded the charity, said: "It's an awful lot of pressure, we're suffering shin splints, a couple of sprains, and blisters all over the place, but the determination of the people taking part is phenomenal."

WO Bathgate said he had lost eight members of his own family to cancer, as well as friends he had worked with.

"It's pretty much devastated my family, it's not been the best of times, but in the military we turn to each other and help each other out," he said.

The charity previously pulled the gun from Lincolnshire to Helensburgh in 2019

The organisers, who previously pulled the the Boer War gun 340 miles (547km) from RAF Scampton, in Lincolnshire to HMNB Clyde, in Helensburgh, believe it is the first time a field gun has been pulled the entire length of the country.

Around 1,300 volunteers are taking part in the event, with up to 18 people pulling the gun at once.

WO Bathgate said they were burning up to 7,000 calories and walking 56,000 steps per day.

The charity have set a fundraising target of £150,000, but WO Bathgate hoped the campaign would also encourage more service personnel to seek support after a cancer diagnosis.

He said some had told him they hid their symptoms because they were afraid of losing their jobs or being excluded from future operations.

"We're trying to break down those barriers and work together to make life a little bit easier for these people," he said

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