AN inspirational former Paratrooper from Bingley is embarking on another charity walk to raise funds for an important cause. 

Super fundraiser Jeffrey Long MBE will put his best foot forward today as he begins his mission to complete 88 miles - in his 88th year - to raise funds for the Lord Mayor's appeal.

This year, the appeal is supporting Child Bereavement UK and the new 'Pot of Gold' initiative.

Mr Long started his annual charitable walks when he was 75, when he supported The Royal British Legion by walking from London to Lausanne in Switzerland carrying a 30kg pack.

Since then he has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity. His dedication has hit the headlines a number of times in recent years.

Last year, he successfully completed a 100-mile walk along the south coast which raised more than £27,000 for the Royal British Legion.

When he crossed the finish line, he had raised just £25, but a quick appeal on Twitter saw support pour in.

Celebrities including, comedians Iain Lee, Al Murray and Jason Manford, newsreader Alastair Stewart and author Neil Gaiman all tweeted their support and he ended up receiving donations from across the globe.

And he also went viral the year before, when a Twitter intervention from Jason Manford helped Jeffrey to raised £120,000 for the armed forces community.

He will complete the 88 miles over the coming week and on part of the walk will be joined by Paratroopers from the 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment.

Mr Long said: “For me there is no better way of celebrating another year than by supporting other people.

"I believe raising awareness of worthy causes is very important and worthwhile and getting older shouldn’t put you off trying new challenges."

Seb Farrell, Regional Fundraiser for Child Bereavement UK, added: "What Jeffrey has achieved over the last decade raising funds and awareness for various charities is nothing short of brilliant! We feel very lucky that he has decided to support us during this his 88th birthday celebrations."

Child Bereavement UK is one of the charities which the Lord Mayorof Bradford, Councillor Doreen Lee, is supporting during her tenure. 

The charity supports families and educates professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement. Every year it trains around 10,000 professionals, helping them to better understand and meet the needs of grieving families.

The Lord Mayor is also creating a 'Pot of Gold' that will fund a variety of charity projects. It will see money allocated to charities and individuals who have been successful in applications for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal financial contribution.

You can support Jeffrey on his JustGiving page here https://www.justgiving.com/jeffreylongcbuk