Wakefield mayor takes on epic walking challenge to raise money for charity

Councillor Charlie Keith laced up his hiking boots and began his trek on Tuesday, striding from Castleford to Pontefract.

He intends to complete the seven-day hike spread across a fortnight and will see him complete more than 50 miles.

Speaking prior to setting off, he said: “I will be setting foot in each of the 21 different wards in the Wakefield district.

“Walking is a very healthy exercise, and the council has set you a challenge, just to walk for 10 minutes, not a day or a week.

"How hard can that be? This 50 mile trek over two weeks will see me passing by where you live and I hope to meet as many of you as possible.”

Having completed the first leg on Tuesday, he will be walking the 7.2 miles from Featherstone to Altofts today, Thursday, March 12, passing by War Horse, the West Yorkshire Police HQ on Havertop Lane and Normanton Town Hall before finishing at Lee Brigg Infant School.

He will be walking from Ossett to Thornes Park tomorrow, and then from Upton to Hemsworth on Tuesday, Nostell to Newmillerdam next Thursday, Stanley to Wrenthorpe on the Friday before finishing with Sandal to Wakefield city centre a week on Sunday.

Coun Keith is raising money for the Macular Society - who help those with age-related eyesight problems.