8th October 2009

Southdowns Support Help For Heroes

Major Phil Packer's Heroic London Marathon Walk on Crutches

During the summer the courage of Major Phil Packer as he set out to walk the London Marathon on crutches, captured all our hearts.

Paralysed from the waist down as the result of a rocket attack in Basra, the military police officer pledged to raise £1 million for charity Help for Heroes.

A military policeman himself for almost 30 years, Southdowns MD Michael Ayling was quick to offer his support to Phil’s campaign. A Concorde Charisma 890L motorhome was quickly selected for use as a support vehicle, following Phil as he covered a distance of up to two miles each day, walking the 26- mile route.

Michael drove the Concorde through London, with special permission to park in places that would make a traffic warden’s hair curl, including the Tower of London, the House of Commons and the Mall. Refreshments were provided on board for Phil and his support team and Michael’s grandson Archie helped out too. Despite being only nine, he turned out to be a dab hand at convincing passers-by to part with their money!

With the support of the public, Phil has raised £1.2 million so far. You can still make a donation by going to www.helpforheroes.org.uk or www.philpacker.com