A WILTSHIRE clergyman plans to walk five miles more than a marathon in one day to raise funds for his churches, and to help the victims a brutal but often ignored conflict.

The Rev’d Gerry Lynch, Curate of St John with St Mary, Devizes, will attempt a whopping 50 kilometre sponsored walk on 20 July to help cover the income his parish lost during lockdowns, as well as for colleagues in the frontline of caring for those fleeing an ISIS insurgency in Mozambique.

“Like many organisations, St John with St Mary lost several income streams during the pandemic, with potential consequences for what we can offer to the people of the town if we can’t fill the hole," said the Rev’d Gerry Lynch.

“But others have things more difficult than we do. My friend Manuel is the bishop of a city named Nampula just outside the area of the ISIS insurgency in northern Mozambique. This city of 750,000, already home to a UN camp for 17,000 refugees from other countries, is now struggling to provide food, clean water, and shelter for half a million fellow Mozambicans who fled their homes in terror.

"Many, including children, have witnessed traumatic events and mental healthcare is also urgent.

“I thought I could raise some money both for our needs in Devizes and for friends in another part of the world dealing with a situation we can scarcely imagine."

Donations can either be made via justgiving.com/crowdfunding/50kinaday or by making a cheque out to 'The Parish of St John with St Mary' and marking it '50k in a day.'

These can be sent to The Parish Office, Parish Rooms, Long Street, Devizes.

Rev Lynch added: "I have a BMI over 30 and a 25½ inch inside leg so my build is not what anyone would call athletic. Still, long countryside walks were basically what kept me sane during the lockdowns and my endurance has gone through the roof.

“When I first considered a sponsored walk, I thought I’d walk a marathon distance. Unfortunately I did a 43.4 km walk a few weeks ago and posted it on social media, and people worked out it was more than a maratho.! So I’m going to have to go the extra five miles for a full 50k in one day – just over 31 miles for those who prefer old money.

“Your generous gift will go straight to where it will make a difference.”