A man undertaking the challenge of walking across the entire UK coastline arrived in Burnham-On-Sea this week.
Chris Jones, 54, started his incredible 7,000 mile endeavour on January 1st 2023, looking to promote better mental health for men and raise £100,000.
He has completed over 3,600 miles so far and is raising money for Masonic, a charity created by Freemasons that helped him get through a mental health crisis.
Chris averages 17 miles a day and walked from Weston through Brean to Burnham-On-Sea on Thursday (June 27th) where he was welcomed by Burnham Freemasons, pictured here.
He told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “When I first had the idea, the plan was to just walk into the sunset and see what happens, because I was struggling that much, so much so that I sold my company.”
“Then I was forced to stay at home during Covid and I had to really contend with my mental wellbeing gettng worse.”
Along the journey, Chris has been assisted by the Freemasons, a group he has been a part of for 13 years.
“I wanted to see whether their traditional values still exist in 2023, based around assisting people who were travelling the country as stonemasons. The response has been really overwhelming, and one of the reasons why I’ve been able to keep going for so long.”
Somerset Freemasons and Burnham Freemasons presented him with a combined £1,100 on Thursday during his visit to Burnham-On-Sea, taking his total to over £40,000.
Starting in Skegness, Chris says the scenery along coastal roads and beaches has been “breathtaking” although he has faced challenges.
He had to take three months out for a foot injury and adds: “There have been some scary moments with tides and muddy estuaries, but I have loved the challenge so far.”
“I’ve had people bringing me into their homes and feeding me, with complete strangers truly going out of their way to show their support.”
The conversations he has been having with the people he meets typically revolve around mental health, with the purpose to kickstart a nationwide discussion on the topic.
“I want to raise awareness of mental health and give funding back to the Freemasons to thank them for their support.”
Chris’s donation page gives people a chance to find out more about this trek.
