A Morpeth resident put his best foot forward in aid of a building project that would benefit dozens of children in an African country.

Eric Tolman recently walked 98.5 miles in four days. He did the Hadrian's Wall Path from Bowness-on-Solway to Wallsend but also a bit extra, such as carrying on to Tynemouth so he could complete a Coast to Coast walk.

Hundreds of pounds have been donated in relation to this challenge – part of his fundraising activities under the title Mission Jovan, named after one of the boys he met during his visit to Uganda last year. The other one announced so far is a fundraising ball at the Grand Hotel Gosforth Park next month that has also received a lot of support.

New Kabaale Busega Primary School is in a remote urban area near Kampala with no on-site accommodation for visitors. Classroom roofs are leaking, the walls are crumbling and the playground is riddled with craters.

Eric Tolman at the end of his walk in Tynemouth.

placeholder image — Eric Tolman at the end of his walk in Tynemouth.

Eric and others are aiming to raise enough money so a Mission House can be built at the site. This would enable organisations, charities, students and volunteers to stay for periods of time to help with the urgent repairs and constant maintenance.

He said: “I’ve always wanted to do a Coast to Coast walk, so that’s why it popped in my head when I was thinking of activities to help raise funds for the Mission House appeal

“The weather for the first couple of days was lovely. It got a bit cooler and misty on days three and four, but I didn’t mind that as those days involved a fair bit of climbing.

“The walk itself was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it.

Eric Tolman at the start of his walk in Bowness-on-Solway.

“And I am overwhelmed by the generosity of those who donated – not only friends and family but a significant amount from people I met on the walk. It was nice to chat with them and they were so lovely in insisting that they went on their phones to make a donation on my JustGiving online page, or hand over cash.

“Including the fundraising ball as well, the support I’ve received over the last few months has been amazing.”

People can still donate online at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/MissionJovan