A group of school and university friends will be taking part in a mammoth endurance walk in memory of former Cheddar captain Jim Hewlett for Make-A-Wish this weekend.

The 15 walkers will start off from Birmingham University campus at 7am on Friday before finishing in Cheddar, at the Sharpham Road Pavilion, at around 5pm on Sunday, a total of 115 miles.

The team will consist of Jon Filer, William Higginbottom, Lydia Gibson, Carrie Elliot, Dan Harris, George House, Andrew Murphy, Richie Matthews, Nick Paton, Martin Davis, Matt Randall, Tom Manning, Kieran McManus, Chris Angell and Alex Kraitman.

Hewlett, who sadly died on New Year's Day 2011 at the age of 24, grew up in Cheddar and attended Kings of Wessex before heading off to Birmingham University to study.

Having taken on challenges including the Three Peaks, Cheddar to Paris Cycle and Man v Mountain, the team wanted to do something extra challenging to mark the 10th anniversary of his passing, delayed due to Covid.

“We brainstormed ideas as a group back in January, wanting to do something special for the 10th year," said group spokesman Filer.

"We have walked 100s of miles in training since March and are hopeful that we are now ready to take on this epic challenge. Jim is an inspiration for all of us and we hope that this will be a great weekend to honour his memory and make lots of money for our chosen charity Make-A-Wish."

The children’s charity provides a special wish for children who have been diagnosed with critical conditions. As of Thursday, the team have raised £7,655 of their £7,500 target.

Further donations can be made via JustGiving on the Jim Hewlett Birmingham to Cheddar Walking Challenge Page - https://www.justgiving.com/team/jim-hewlett-walking-challenge.

The Cheddar Pavilion bar will be open, along with a barbeque, on Sunday for a welcome home celebration with all invited to mark what promises to be a very special occasion.