The current and former armed services community of Angus is being called on to give a long-distance Royal Marine milestone a boost.
The charity Help Our Wounded Royal Marines and Supporting Arms is organising a non-stop cycle ride from Arbroath’s RM Condor to a Devon base in a year’s time.
On July 24, a team of cyclists will leave RM Condor and cycle non-stop to Commando Training Centre Royal Marines, Lympstone. The relay will be finished in two days, with three or four core riders cycling 50 miles at a time.
Organiser Jules Hutton said: “Next year is the 350th birthday of the RM in October and the 310th anniversary since Britain took Gibraltar (during the War of Spanish Succession).
“The date of the birthday for Gibraltar is the 24th of July, and in my madness I decided it would be a good idea to get some people to cycle 350 miles for the anniversary and 310 for Gibraltar.
“We are starting at RM Condor and we will hopefully have four of the team out at any one time and cycle non-stop to Devon. They would do 50 miles at a time and have other people come in and join.”
He continued: “I’m hoping to get a good community send-off and I don’t know if Condor or anyone would like to complete the whole lot with us, but it is a year off.”
Each core rider will complete a minimum of four stages. The number of the main core of riders will be 12 to 16, but anyone can join en route for their chosen distance for a fee of £50.
Contact Ms Hutton on 07818 405801 for more information or visit www.helpourwounded.co.uk to find out about the charity, which gained charitable status in February.
Jules added: “Every penny that’s raised goes to a place called Hasler Company, and anyone that’s involved with the marines, anyone that’s injured gets treated there.”
In 2009, the Royal Navy and Royal Marines formed a new Royal Marine Unit called Hasler Company specifically to help aid the recovery, rehabilitation and re-integration of marines needing focused and individual attention.
The Plymouth company is designed to assist the existing local recovery troops embedded within each Royal Marine Commando unit such as 45 Commando, 42 Commando and 40 Commando.