The Walk on Wales concept was dreamt up by two veteran Welsh Guards, Jan Koops and David (Dai) Graham, both of whom served in the Falklands War. As a result, Jan and Dai are keenly aware of the devastating impact that active service can have on soldiers and their families, as they cope with bereavement, life-changing injuries or the long-term effects of psychological trauma. The vision for Walk on Wales is:
- to remember and acknowledge the contribution of the 50 Welsh Guardsmen who have died on active service since the end of World War II, and
- to create a legacy today for the veterans of tomorrow, by raising £1 million for the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal and Combat Stress.
The Walk will start on 25 August 2013, when the first of 11 Walk on Wales relay teams will set off to walk the Welsh Coast Path, accompanied by Jan Koops and Rod Morgan who will be walking the entire 870 miles. The teams will be carrying with them a specially commissioned silver baton inscribed with the names of those 50 Welsh Guardsmen who died while serving their country in Afghanistan, the Falklands, Iraq and Northern Ireland. In a journey of remembrance and thanks, the baton will travel the entire length of the stunning Welsh Coast Path before arriving back at Cardiff Bay.
The Walk is being run on a voluntary basis by a team of former and serving Welsh Guards and is honoured to have HRH, the Prince of Wales as its Patron and Field Marshal the Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank as its President.
Our values are Respect : Inspire : Challenge : Acknowledge
NB: The current amount raised includes 'in kind' donations from our early supporters who have kindly created our visual identity and built the website absolutely free of charge and excludes costs.
Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal - Registered Charity 1073109
The Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal was set up by the Regiment to provide much needed support to veterans, serving guardsmen and their famillies.
Combat Stress - Registered Charity 206002
Combat Stress is the UK’s leading military charity specialising in the care of veterans’ mental health. Combat Stress was founded in 1919 and aims to ensure that Veterans receive the right mental health care, in the right place, at the right time.