From 29th May to 3rd June 2023, Edward Cooke and Dr Adrian Hamilton are walking, kayaking and cycling to raise much needed funds to help support people fleeing the terrors and trauma of war in Ukraine.

Edward and Adrian will travel 86.1 miles from the London Shard to beautiful West Wittering beach, along a route closely following Stane Street, the ancient Roman route linking the capital with the West Sussex coast.

Founded in February 2022 at the outbreak of the invasion of Ukraine, Opora has already provided reliable support and information to over 20,000 Ukrainians who have come here through the Homes for Ukrainians and Family schemes. It aspires to proactively approach the problems people face so that they have the best possible chance of living safe, sustainable and fulfilling lives in the UK.

Opora has now identified a critical need to recruit a full-time Ukrainian mental health specialist onto its team, in order to provide a service to Ukrainians across the country who have been affected by the enormous trauma of the war.

As a result, on the charity’s advice, Edward and Adrian are focusing on raising enough funds to help make this vision a reality.

Mental health support is something both feel passionately about. As a family lawyer and mediator, Edward supports people going through the trauma of separation, while Adrian is a Royal Naval doctor and GP and looks after individuals with mental health needs on a daily basis. Edward also has a long-standing interest in the region, having lived, worked and travelled in Russia and Ukraine back in the 1990s.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Once you donate, they will send your money directly to the charity and make sure that Gift Aid is relaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer.

So please give what you can. Thank you.