Tommy Brabham

A would-be adventurer plans to walk round the entire coast of Great Britain, and raise cash for an air ambulance service.

Tommy Brabham, a freelance graphic designer will set off from his home county of Sussex next month on a trek he expects to take 10 months.

The 11, 265km (7,000-mile) journey is the equivalent of walking from London to Beijing.

The 21-year-old’s inspiration is marathon walker John Merrill, the first recorded person to complete the round of Britain’s coast in 1978.

Mr Brabham hopes to raise £3,000 for the Sussex Air Ambulance through his trek.

He said: “I am passionate about the great outdoors and although I am not expecting to break any records on the trip, I hope that through sharing my experiences I can inspire more people to get outdoors and appreciate our beautiful country as well as raise as much money along the way for the Sussex Air Ambulance service.

“As a motorcyclist, I know how important it is to have the security of the air ambulance service. It really does great work to rescue people who, for whatever reason, have found themselves off the beaten track.”

He plans to set off from Eastbourne Pier on 5 February, shortly after his 22nd birthday and camp as much as possible en route.

“I intend to travel as lightly and unsupported as possible,” he said. “I will be camping as and when I can, but cheap or free accommodation has the potential to crop up and I’m not going to say no.

“I am hoping that we can use this adventure as a chance to use what we’ve learnt about living off the land to make my way around and incorporate resources we can collect into the odd meal or two.”

Tom Brabham hopes to raise cash for the Sussex Air Ambulance

The journey will be made clockwise, visiting the West Country, Wales including Anglesey, north-west England, Scotland, north-east England, East Anglia and Kent before returning to his starting point.

Outdoor brand Vango has provided some of the equipment for his trip. Mr Brabham said: “I’ve been blown away by the amount of support I’ve received from companies.

“The top-of-the-range equipment that has been donated will really make a difference to my comfort levels on the trip. Thanks to Vango I can rest assured that I’ll get a cosy night’s sleep every night to prepare me for the following day.”

Daniela Giannini, assistant brand manager at Vango, said: “When we heard about Tommy’s challenge we were more than happy to provide him with the equipment he needed.

“It’s going to be tough going at times so we wanted to at least make his many nights spent under the stars as comfortable as possible and wish him every success on his adventure. We will be eagerly watching his progress.”

The walker has set up a justgiving page for donations.  More details are also available on his blog pages.