AN INTREPID adventurer, who is part of the team at Salisbury Cathedral, has started an epic 700-mile charity walking challenge.

Parishioner Bruce Carter is nine days into the Hike for Hope challenge that will see him pilgrimage from John O’Groats to Salisbury in aid of the charity Action around Bethlehem Children with Disability (ABCD).

This challenge has been organised to raise money for the rehabilitation of injured and traumatised children in the Gaza Strip.

Bruce started the hike on Ash Wednesday (March 5) – and he hopes to arrive back home in Salisbury on Wednesday, April 16.

This will give him time to recover before carrying the processional cross into Salisbury Cathedral on Easter Sunday.

Along the route, he is being offered bed and board by parishioners supporting his pilgrimage, passing through Falkirk, Gretna, Lancaster, Tewkesbury and Cheltenham to name but a few, all with the aim of raising over £25k to support children’s rehabilitation services in the Gaza strip.

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Bruce said the idea for the hike came from him recalling a book he read during Lent one year.

“The author Trystan Owen Hughes talked about the etymology of the word to ‘saunter’ and discussed the idea of walking through the world and seeing God’s presence all around us,” he said.

“During the recent crisis in the region, I have been hugely affected by listening to the voices of refugees on the radio and reflecting on the distances they have to walk to try to find safety. They don’t have a choice, but I do.

“I had planned to take time off work during Lent and thought that if I couldn’t go to Palestine then I would use that time to raise money for a charity directly involved in supporting the plight of the Palestinian people.

“These last two years at Greenbelt festival, my wife Pip and I have befriended volunteers who run a stand for ABCD; and this year I decided that I would use my time to do something positive for this charity.”

People can live-track Bruce as he takes on the Hike for Hope. At the time of writing, he is near Loch Insh, and has raised more than £12,000.

Bruce is nine days into his hike

The increasing need for ABCD

The UK-based charity ABCD was founded nearly 40 years ago and started with a partnership with the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation (BASR), one of the two main rehabilitation hospitals in the West Bank.

The charity continues to support the BASR via an outreach programme, as well as providing a grant to the Sheepfold, a children’s centre in Beit Sahour.

The charity has also established five comprehensive rehab centres in refugee camps across the West Bank, each supporting disabled children and their families.

Canon Daniel Burton, currently working as Vicar of Oldham in the Diocese of Manchester, first became a Trustee of ABCD in 2016 and has, in the past few months, taken over as chair of trustees.

Canon Burton has been instrumental in the development of the charity in recent years, including overseeing the emergency response to the recent crisis in the region.

A spokesperson for ABCD said: “As IDF raids on refugee camps in the region continue, damage to the infrastructure of many of the charity’s centres (in particular, Nur Shams) has rendered services untenable, with the psychological impact on children and young adults incalculable.

“Due to the generous donations of supporters, ABCD Bethlehem has been able to respond with extra emergency funds of £75 to date.

“Each of the charity’s key five centres has received £15,000 allowing the provision of trauma therapy in addition to the regular rehabilitation programmes, and to deliver food parcels, essential medication and nappies for families who have lost their livelihoods.”

Canon Daniel Burton said the ABCD hopes to expand its offering to help more people.

She said: “I am sad to say that the work of ABCD Bethlehem is more necessary today than at any point in its four-decade-long history – and it is likely to be much needed for the foreseeable future.

“To help future-proof the charity for generations to come, we are currently reviewing our strategic priorities, but we hope to expand our work to more refugee camps and to offer respite facilities for families caring for children with disabilities.

“We are grateful to all our supporters who give their time to raise funds for and awareness of our cause.

“We wish Bruce every success and will be eagerly following every step of his journey. We hope this inspires others to Hike for Hope for ABCD!”

To track Bruce, visit share.garmin.com/lentenhikeforhope

To help Bruce hit his fundraising target, visit abcdbethlehem.enthuse.com/cf/hike-for-hope2025.