Birmingham man Jonathan Swift is gearing up to walk from the city to Manchester to raise money for disaster-hit Haiti.
Mr Swift, aged 30, is a maintenance worker at Opal One near the city centre, but in March he will be slipping on his trainers and walking to Manchester with a colleague from Leeds to raise money for the country, which was gutted by an earthquake.
The keen fundraiser, from Balsall Heath, regularly helps charities such as the British Lung foundation, Acorns Childrens Hospice and the Opal Foundation, and admitted he was fearful of his latest plan.
He said: “I struggle walking around Birmingham City Centre.
“I am doing a little exercise in the gym whenever I get the chance but this is still going to be a huge challenge.”
Mr Swift said all of the hard work will worthwhile if he succeeds in raising money for The Opal Foundation to be passed onto the struggling country.
He has been helping the charity to raise money for over a year now but this is his biggest challenge yet.
“I am currently trying to get some camping gear together as we plan to rough it overnight and will need some shelter from the elements but all I have so far is a kettle and a stove,” Mr Swift explained.
“The Haiti disaster is such a good cause to raise money for and we’re hoping to raise enough to make a real difference to peoples’ lives.
“The Opal Foundation focuses their attention on supporting children and young people both in the UK and abroad and have already helped so many,” Mr Swift added.
Mr Swift is well known within Opal for his charity work. Now he is hoping that its residents and the local community will support him in his challenge.
“The residents where I work have been very supportive since hearing about what I plan to do but I still need more sponsorship,” he said.
“Even a few pounds will make a huge difference and can go such a long way in Haiti.”
To sponsor Mr Swift visit www.justgiving.com/opal-walk.
