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Ex-para walking UK coastline nears Moray


By Alistair Whitfield

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Keep an eye out for a very special man who is due to arrive in Moray in a day or so.

In August 2017 ex-paratrooper Chris Lewis set off walking around the UK coastline with nothing but £10 in his pockets.

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His mission was to raise awareness and money for SSAFA, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association.

To date he's raised £166,322.

Currently in the Nairn area, Chris and his dog Jet are due to stop at Kinloss and RAF Lossiemouth within the next couple of days.

Chris found himself homeless after leaving the Parachute Regiment.

Suffering from anxiety and depression, he slept on the street and in cars before the SSAFA charity stepped in to help.

During lockdown he isolated for three months on Hildasay, an uninhabited island in Shetland, having being given permission to stay in a shepherd’s hut.

The hut had no running water, heating or electricity, but Chris collected driftwood to make fires and foraged and fished for food.

Local people also helped out by coming over by boat to drop off deliveries of coal, water and dog food.

More than 60,000 people now follow Chris' journey on the Facebook page, 'Chris Walks the UK'.

Earlier this month, he and Jet won the Animal Partnership Award at the Soldiering on Awards.

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