SOME people never learn, but some never get the chance to, which is why 75-year-old retired educational development specialist John Wilmut from Stoke Climsland is walking from John O’Groats to Land’s End for schools in countries such as South Sudan.

Mr Wilmut explained: ‘This walk is in support of Christian Aid’s work in improving education for children and young people around the world.

‘The aim is to improve learning, to enrich their lives and to extend their opportunities. This work is managed and carried out by local agencies, with financial support from Christian Aid. So the money that we raise in the UK pays directly for the provision of classrooms, for the production of books, for the recruitment and training of teachers, for the development of the curriculum and for the materials that children will use.’

John will set off on June 15 and aims to walk an average of 16.5 miles a day for 68 days, with ten extra rest days, carrying a rucksack. Initially he plans to camp out along the way, and then stay with friends and Christian Aid supporters as well as in bed and breakfasts, pubs and hostels for the later stages.

‘I will be walking alone,’ he firmly stated. ‘This is by choice — I am not a sociable walker and I doubt that anyone could put up with me for over two months, with no escape! However, I expect that some friends may join me for small sections of the walk, and I will welcome that.’

In his career John saw first-hand the poverty that blights children’s lives. 

‘I had the good fortune to work in a number of developing countries over many years of my career,’ he said. ‘I saw some of the impact that poverty had on children — the drop-out rate from school, poorly qualified and poorly paid teachers, the lack of books and the decrepit state of many schools.

‘As part of its wider commitment to the improvement of the living standards and wellbeing of people in poor countries, Christian Aid and its partners are working to improve conditions for some of the children. The aim is to improve learning, to enrich their lives and to extend their opportunities. I think that’s something worth walking for!’

This isn’t the first time John has done something like this, having raised more than £10,000 from a previous walk.

‘This is my second — and probably my last — attempt at a walk from end to end of mainland Britain,’ he said. ‘In 2012 I walked from Land’s End to John O’Groats in support of Christian Aid’s work in education in Sierra Leone and elsewhere. Thanks to donations and profits from the sales of the book I wrote about that walk, the fund has now risen to over £10,000.

‘I’ve decided to do another walk, but this time walking south instead of north. I don’t just want to walk back down the same route as I used in 2012 so I’ve created an alternative that’s almost completely different.’

To follow John’s progress or to make a donation, visit http://wilmut.wix.com/jogle2016