The ambitious walk will take Pat Barnes from Wool to Salisbury, then onto Winchester where he will join the Pilgrim’s Trail to Canterbury before crossing from Dover to Calais on foot.  Along the planned route he will be taking in the sights of Caen, Tours, the Masif Central and the Pyrenees before arriving in Spain.

During this mammoth trek of 3,000km Pat has chosen to support the charity, Mosaic.

A retired police officer, Pat currently works at Bryanston School in Blandford as a minibus driver. He was made aware of the charity Mosaic, which has worked with children, staff and other professionals at the setting, offering bereavement support to many over the years.

When Pat asked Mosaic how he could best use his challenge to raise money for the charity, they helped him to set up a JustGiving page, spread the word across their social media platforms and dedicated a page to him in their newsletter.

The walk will be unsupported, Pat will have to carry everything with him that he needs, and he has estimated that it will take him around four months to complete.

“I enjoy the adventure of a long-distance walk, seeing the countryside, the cultural changes, nature, but most of all the people you meet along the way,” explained Pat. “I have chosen to fundraise for Mosaic, a Dorset-based charity which supports bereaved children and young people and their families. They also provide support for children facing the death of a loved one.”

Sarah Hannibal-White, Mosaic’s Fundraising and Events assistant added: “We are delighted that Pat has chosen to support Mosaic whilst undertaking this amazing challenge. We look forward to hearing all about his adventures and the people he meets and sharing his stories with the community. We wish Pat every success.”

If you would like find out more about Pat’s adventure and make a donation, please follow this link https://justgiving.com/fundraising/p-barnes1 to his JustGiving page.

Pat is due to leave his house in on Monday 3 April.

Mosaic provides individual bereavement support for children, young people and their families throughout Dorset.

For more information about Mosaic and how you can support the charity, either through fundraising or volunteering, please contact Cathy Gilpin at Mosaic on  (01258) 837071 or email info@mosaicfamilysupport.org. Website www.mosaicfamilysupport.org.uk