Roger’s Frontline Walk in aid of The Army Benevolent Fund
05 Nov 24
Charity FundraisingCharityTeam
Roger Stakemire, Intelligence Training Development Analyst, recently took part in this years’ Frontline Walk– The Western Front in October 2024. He walked in aid of The Army Benevolent Fund (ABF), which is the national charity of the British Army.
The challenge consisted of trekking 100km over five days, following the footsteps of those who fought on the Somme and Passchendaele battlefields during WWI.
The charity supports soldiers, veterans and their families when they need it most – helping approximately 75,000 people in 51 countries around the world. As one of the largest funders in the sector, the organisation awards grants to individuals and families, always aiming to respond within 48 hours to anyone in need.
When asked about why he decided to take part in The Frontline Walk, Roger said:
“Having heard of the event via a podcast, I decided that 2024 would be my first walk in support of the ABF. I'm an Army Veteran who served a full career of 26 years and I'm aware of the magnificent work that the ABF carry out in support of the Army Veteran community.
“I consider myself fortunate to have left after 26 years, still fit and healthy and able to consider taking on such challenges; some friends I served with were not so lucky.
“It was an absolutely incredible experience, so much so that I've already signed up for the Normandy Frontline Walk for October 2025!”
Here’s what the challenge entailed…
Day one of walking began at the Loch Nagar crater on the Somme, covering 34km on the first day. The walk takes in many different historical sites, including the 38th Welsh Division memorial and Thiepval memorial, before moving past the Ulster Tower. It continued over the Redan ridge to the Sheffield memorial park, culminating in the village of Hebuterne.
Day two took place in the battlefields in the Artois region of Pas-de-Calais, an area that was contested by all allied nations and the Germans over the course of the war. The day encompassed 35km of walking over varied terrain and finished at the Canadian memorial to the missing at Vimy Ridge.
The third day of walking totalled 31km, starting at Vancouver Corner near the village of St Julien. Close to the start point is the memorial of the Hertfordshire Regiment, that suffered terrible casualties on the first day of the third battle of Ypres. It also encompasses Polygon Wood, Black Watch corner before finishing with a nice cold beer!
As of 1st November 2024, Roger has smashed his target and raised £2388, with an additional £500 in gift aid! If you would like to donate to this worthy cause, his sponsorship page can be found here.
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