Ed Gowan hopes to raise £5,000 for the Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation by walking around the Channel Islands.

Ed was due to begin his challenge in Jersey tomorrow ( 28 July) to walk around all the main Channel Islands but Covid-19  restrictions mean he will replace Jersey with an extra stretch on Guernsey's south coast cliffs.

"We start at 3am and are doing a whole lap of the island, and then when we get back into Town we are going on to do the cliffs again as far as Corbiere, which is about two-thirds to three-quarters of the cliffs. That will mean we'll cover the same number of miles as Jersey but over much more difficult terrain."

Funds raised will go towards the PPBF compassionate housing – Aggie's Burrow and Isaac's Pad – which are right next to Southampton General Hospital. They provide a comfortable, private safe-haven and help keep families together during the immensely difficult time when their child is receiving vital care at the hospital. The PPBF's challenge is to continually raise the required funds for the annual £30,000 running costs needed to keep the two flats maintained and always open for local families in need.

Ed says the PPBF does an exceptional job for local parents and he was very keen to help raise funds:

"Very sadly, the son of a colleague of ours was diagnosed with a cancer last year and his fiancee and son spent about 6 months living in one of there flats near Southampton General Hospital during the depths of the pandemic. They found it to be a genuine lifeline and it gave them space and privacy while undergoing challenging treatment. Really positively, he is now in remission which is really great news."

"I’ve been training since the start of January. Each week I do a combination of early morning cliff walks - about an hour each - and then 1 or 2 longer cliff walks during the weekend. I’m focusing on those parts of the island with lots of steps, as that will be the hardest part of the challenge.

"I’m currently upping the time on my feet each week, to build endurance. This is through longer 3 to 4-hour weekend walks. The hardest thing about my training has been finding the time. It was easiest during lockdown, when the complexities of school runs, etc, didn’t need to be considered!"

To make a donation towards Ed’s charitable challenge, please go to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fiveislandswalk