Paisley lad sets off on charity 1,000-mile walk to Munich for Euros 2024
20-year-old Craig Ferguson will walk through six countries over the next 37 days to raise money for men's mental health
As anticipation builds for Scotland's national football team's historic entry into the European Championships, a young man from Paisley, Scotland, is gearing up to embark on a journey of a lifetime – to walk 1000 miles from Glasgow to Munich for men’s mental health.
Joined by friends and family, Craig Ferguson, who is just 20 years old, will leave from Hampden, Scotland’s national stadium, on Saturday morning at 10am.
He will then walk for 37 days until he reaches Munich for Scotland’s opening match of UEFA EURO 2024 on June 14th.
Craig is raising critical funds for Brothers in Arms, Scotland’s leading men’s mental health charity committed to reducing male suicide and hopes his walk will bring awareness to the charity and its invaluable work.
Craig’s original ambition was to raise £10,000, which he reached in April. He is now determined to raise £50,000 by the time he reaches Germany.
The first leg of Craig’s journey will take him from Glasgow to Hull, which he hopes to complete in 12 days.
Once he crosses to Rotterdam, Craig’s extraordinary mission will take him through six countries, and all terrains – across hills and countryside, through cities and villages.
'It really is a gift to be fit and healthy'
Before setting off on his journey, Craig said: “In the same way that football unites men, I hope to unite people and communities throughout my journey across Europe, on a crucial aspect of well-being – men’s mental health.”
“I am so excited to get going and can’t wait to fly the flag for Scotland on this special journey.
"When the going gets tough, I’ll remind myself why I’m doing it and think of the 12 men that take their own lives every single day in the UK.
“It really is a gift to be fit and healthy, and to have the opportunity to do something that I love – to explore new corners of the world and to test my fitness.
"Thanks to everyone who has supported me thus far, I really do appreciate it.”
'We are incredibly proud'
Brothers in Arms Founder, Dan Proverbs, said, “We are incredibly proud of Craig. He is a shining example of what can be achieved when you set your mind to it, and we are so grateful that he has chosen to complete this epic challenge for Brothers in Arms.”
He added: “Promoting men's mental health awareness is a global issue that requires collaboration and commitment – but more importantly, people like Craig who are committed to raising funds for what’s a severely underfunded space.
"Craig’s funds will go towards developing an innovative digital ‘talking-and-listening’ tool for men, called Blethr, which in the long-term will have a positive impact on male suicide rates here in the UK.”
Custom Euros tartan
Craig will complete his mammoth 1000-mile walk wearing a specially crafted, ultra-light ‘sports’ Kilt crafted from a Euros tartan.
The kilt was made by Scotland’s leading kilt-makers, Slanj, and is a vibrant homage to Scotland's Euros achievement, each thread of the tartan weaves together the team's footballing journey.
The flags of Scotland's Group A opponents – Germany, Switzerland, and Hungary - are all included in the design, while the dark blue backdrop echoes the iconic colours of the Scottish football strip.
As Craig strides across Europe, supporters can tune-in to a specially created ‘tracker’ online, which will be updated daily with his GPS location.