Seven Bedfordshire firefighters are walking across the county today (Saturday), wearing their full kit, in aid of charity.
They’ll be setting off from Bedford fire station around 7am, complete with 40lbs of equipment each and walking through the town centre towards Kempston fire station. They’ll then turn south down the A6 and visit Luton and Stopsley fire stations before finishing, hopefully, in Dunstable before midnight. They’re raising money for the Firefighters Charity and the Burned Children’s Club. Firefighter Haydon Littlewood told Heart: “We train quite a lot wearing our kit, but normally only for about an hour. We’re estimating about a 14 hour walk, so it’s an endurance event really.” They’ll be well accompanied by a support crew, in a fire engine, passing them sports drinks, bananas and hopefully some support too. Haydon told us why they chose the two charities: “I personally have received help from the Firefighters Charity. I injured my knee and they gave me some therapy to get back on duty. “The Burned Childrens Club is a charity that helps raise the self esteem of kids that have been burnt. It also teaches them how to do camoflauge make up, to help disguise their burns.
“But, more often than not, these kids are quite embarassed about going swimming or things like that. So, when they come to Burns Camp they can all get together and for some of them it’s the first time they might wear swimming costumes, or for the girls it’s the first time they might wear dresses to a disco.