A CHAWLEIGH man is hoping to raise £1,000 for the Devon Historic Churches Trust by undertaking a mammoth challenge.

Robert Middleton (31), intends to walk 12,000 steps a day and hopes that people will give generously towards his fundraising.

He explained: “To walk 12,000 steps a day may not seem a lot, however as I work full-time, finding two hours to walk 10 kilometres after work can sometimes be a challenge in itself. Not to mention dark evenings and unpredictable weather!”

He continued: “I’m passionate about conservation and preservation of our beautiful historic churches.

“Sadly, we often take our priceless heritage for granted, not realising all the many benefits old churches and chapels bring to local communities and the UK economy.

“As Churchill said in 1943: ‘…we shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us’.

“In a way, historic churches are more accessible than museums and galleries in the sense that they are living monuments, acting as bridges between the past and present, inspiring us to look into the past and at the same time immerse ourselves in the present; helping us build a better, more sustainable future.

“Devon Historic Churches Trust is a great charity, and I know that many Devon churches received grants for essential and often urgent repairs in the past, including Holy Cross Church in Crediton.

“Volunteers throughout Devon are giving their time and talents every day to deliver the services that every community needs. “But the considerable costs of repairs to the buildings are almost always beyond their resources. This is why supporting the DHCT is so very important, so that we can preserve our historic churches – for everyone and for ever.”

He added: "You can support my fundraising efforts by donating through JustGiving: www.justgiving.com/page/devonhct .

“It would be much appreciated.”