A Honiton charity champion is gearing up for a walk challenge to visit 13 of London’s most iconic bridges in aid of Armed Forces through SSAFA.
Alan Rowe, aged 76, and his wife Pauline, 77, at the end of June will take part in the 13 Bridges Challenge, carrying with them a baton made from the handle of a damaged stretcher used by the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) in Afghanistan.
Alan, The Baton charity founder, expects the 10-mile walk to be his ‘biggest challenge yet’ following his battle with prostate cancer and diabetes.
His wife Pauline, who for years has cheered Alan on as he tackled marathons, ultra-marathons and walking challenges, will take on her first test when she steps out on the 13 Bridges walk alongside her husband.
Pauline Rowe will tackle her first charity challenge with her husband, Alan, by her side, both raising funds for Armed Forces charity SSAFA.
Photo: with permission.
Alan, a barber, said: “We’re walking 13 Bridges for SSAFA, and while we know it will be physically tough for both of us, we will do it together knowing that we are walking alongside people who have spent their life in service, sacrificing more than we will ever know.
“We are walking in solidarity with every person who has served, is currently serving and will serve in the future.”
The pair are raising funds for Armed Forces charity SSAFA and while they walk the 10-mile route they will carry the Baton – as a symbol of the personnel a stretcher carries to safety regardless of rank, nationality, civilian, or allegiance.
Alan said: “The stretcher is unbiased in who it saves, just like SSAFA. It is an Armed Forces charity that sits outside of military command, offering no judgement and supports those who reach out for help. This is why a stretcher was chosen to be the material of choice for the baton.”
Barber Alan Rowe is founder of The Baton charity, supporting Armed Forces personnel and their families.
Photo: with permission.
The damaged stretcher was donated by the Royal Marines from Camp Bastion Hospital.
It has been used by Alan to ‘create a symbol of conscience’.
Alan, who over his 52 years as a barber has cut hair for veterans and serving forces, said: “I’ve spent my career looking into the eyes of men who fought in World War One, World War Two, and other subsequent conflicts while they trusted me to cut their hair. “Over time I had the privilege of these men opening up to me about their experiences from both their time serving and as a veteran.
“Stories of heartbreak and hope became my everyday with these brave men, each story unique, each story a tale worth telling. I soon became aware of how little I knew.
“As trust grew, more shared their experiences and each day I reflected more about my own family and what my father and uncle went through as part of the Armed Forces in World War II.”
