Jim Morton finishes epic walk, raising over £37,000

Jim Morton arrives home in Penistone after his epic walk around Britain’s coast. Photo credit: BBC News

At the end of September, Jim Morton finished his epic trek around Britain’s coastline, raising a phenomenal £37,737 for The Gurkha Welfare Trust. Walking 537 days and nearly 9,000 miles, Jim was finally welcomed home with the trill of bagpipes and cheers from his community. He also saw all 243 of Britain’s lighthouses on his coastal adventure, fulfilling his lifelong dream.

Jim has had a long-held respect for the Gurkhas since working closely with them as a teenage rating on HMS Gurkha. After seeing how many Gurkha veterans and families suffered in Nepal following the devastating earthquake in 2015, he decided the money raised from his trek should go to The Gurkha Welfare Trust.

When Jim began his journey all the way back in April of 2021, he decided to tackle Scotland’s coast first so that he could finish the northern half of the country by the end of summer. Little did he know, there would be some challenges along the way that would extend his time in Scotland– namely, being swept out to sea twice and falling from a cliff!

“The most challenging part…[was] the coast around Argyle, where there are no defined paths,” Jim said upon reflection of his time in Scotland. “Sometimes I was clinging to the cliff edges or hacking my way through forests. I have been prickled, nettled, and electrocuted. I have fallen 20 feet down a waterfall and then fell in the sea and rivers. It’s been a challenge.”

When Jim fell from the crumbling cliff, he was rescued and airlifted to the hospital. Amazingly, he was discharged from the hospital just two days later. Completely undeterred by his fall, he insisted on continuing his challenge to fundraise for Gurkha veterans.

Jim’s wife Sue supported him every step of the way from their motorhome, mapping out the best route to meet him at the end of each day and sorting out a campsite for them to stay each night. She even managed Jim’s social media and press coverage.

When Jim made his way to the south coast of England, our team members Heather and Keta went to spend the day walking with him.

“We joined Jim at beautiful Lepe beach in Hampshire, but soon had to head inland for several miles as it was the only way to get across the Beaulieu River,” Heather said. “We had a brief stop by the roadside so Jim could join a live radio interview with Radio Solent. Shortly after, a car stopped, and we saw the driver waving something out of the window – a five pound note! He said, ‘I’m listening to you on the radio right now – here’s a donation and good luck!’

“I was feeling jaded after walking nine miles…yet Jim often covers 20 miles a day and [as of May 2022] has walked over 6,320 miles.”

It was a cold and rainy day when Jim and Sue returned to their hometown of Penistone in Yorkshire. Yet the atmosphere was jubilant as the two crossed the finish line, carrying a flag bearing the Gurkhas’ crossed kukri symbol. Cheers of “hip, hip, hooray!” sounded from the crowd as a Gurkha piper led Jim and Sue to the local Royal British Legion Centre.

“It has been my lifelong ambition since 1967 to walk Britain’s coast,” Jim said to the crowd. “And when I decided to do it I thought, there can be no better cause [to dedicate the challenge] than The Gurkha Welfare Trust.”

Now that Jim has finished his coastal adventure, he has plenty of time to relax at home. What’s next on the cards? Jim aims to write a book about his experiences.

If you’ve been inspired by Jim’s story, there is still time to donate to his JustGiving Page.