On 17 May, London cab driver and Taxi Charity volunteer Colin Mills from the village of Nazeing in Essex, will be setting off from Bowness-on-Solway a village near Carlisle to walk the Hadrian’s Wall Path to celebrate his 60th birthday and attempt to raise £1,000 for the Taxi Charity.
London cab driver and Taxi Charity volunteer Colin Mills said, “It’s my 60th birthday this year and I wanted to do something to mark the occasion while raising funds for the Taxi Charity. So, I decided to walk the Hadrian’s Wall path and roped in my two brothers, Tony and David, to do the 84 mile walk with me.”
Colin and his brothers are setting off on the 84 mile walk from Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast on 17 May. Along the route they will be stopping at Carlisle, Newton, Gilsland, Steel Rigg, Humshaugh, Heddon-on-the-Wall and Wallsend before finishing at South Shields.
Colin continued, “As well as completing the length of Hadrian’s Wall, we will also achieve the unofficial coast to coast which I think will be a good way to mark my 60th and spending the time with my brothers will make the experience even better. We have set ourselves a fundraising target of £1,000 for the Taxi Charity, which may be a bit ambitious with everyone facing the current cost of living crisis but the charity does such wonderful things to support veterans that we will do all we can to reach this goal.”
Brian Heffernan, London Taxi Driver and Chairman of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans said, “For the last seventy five years our small niche charity has relied on donations, grants and sponsorship and the goodwill of the amazing London cab drivers who volunteer their time for us. These men and women are incredibly generous and so many, like Colin, go the extra mile to try and raise additional money to help us fund our trips for veterans.”
To support Colin, you can donate at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/colin-mills-walking-hadrians-wall-for-taxi-charity
To find out more about the support the Taxi Charity offers to veterans visit www.taxicharity.org
About the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans
The Taxi Charity is run by volunteer London black taxi drivers and has been supporting thousands of veterans since 1948. It is the only Forces charity that focuses on providing fun and entertainment and arranges free trips (for veterans from all conflicts) to the Netherlands and France, for acts of commemoration and days out to museums, concerts, or social events across the UK.
2023 is the charity’s 75th anniversary, a remarkable milestone for a small, niche charity peopled by enthusiastic volunteers.
The charity received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2021, an award approved by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the equivalent of the MBE for charities.
To fund and facilitate their work, the charity is reliant on donations, grants and sponsorship and launched a ‘75 for 75’ fundraising campaign to raise £75,000 in its anniversary year.
