TWO friends are aiming to tackle the famous South West coast path in aid of Mind, the mental health charity, and will be passing through Bude on their journey.

Ben Lucas and Seth Todd are putting their jobs on hold and will be funding the trek themselves, with every penny going to their chosen charity, Mind.

Mental illness directly affects one in four people in England every year. With both Ben and Seth’s families having been affected by mental illness, they understand the ‘stigma and prejudice’ that still surrounds it.

Ben said: “By raising as much awareness for the cause as possible, we hope to break down the physical and mental boundaries which society has created. We also hope to make people feel like it is more acceptable and feel more comfortable in talking about their feelings and problems in the hope to prevent them from segregating themselves further through embarrassment, due to others’ lack of understanding.

“We both strongly believe that the great outdoors has a big impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of everyone, especially people with mental health illnesses. Therefore, it seems perfectly fitting to raise as much recognition and funds as possible for the Mind mental health charity, as well as mentally and physically challenging ourselves.”

From October 12, Ben and Seth will be walking 630 miles from Minehead in Somerset to Poole harbour in Bournemouth across the dramatic South West coast path completely unaided.

During this journey, they will pass through Bude, the town where Ben lived and worked for two years while he was an outdoor instructor at Adventure International.

Now living in Carbis Bay, and with Seth living in Lelant, Bude and the surrounding coastal areas have become very close to the friends’ hearts.

With their walk beginning on October 12, Ben and Seth are urging as many people as possible to pledge their support and donate to the cause they are fundraising for.

The pair have been taking donations in cash and also through their Just Giving web page, but are hoping to organise some fundraising events before the walk begins, to top up their total, with local businesses pledging their support.

Ben and Seth have been working full-time and doing extra shifts, which will pay for the equipment needed during the walk, as well as living costs.

To support Ben and Seth, and donate to their cause, visit their Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sethandbensouthwest or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sethandbensouthwest