Two army veterans have raised thousands for a Dorset charity after undertaking a major trek of the countryside.

Mike Roberts and Dave Roberts call themselves the Hairy Veterans.

The duo, who are not related, completed a gruelling 65 mile walk of the Wessex Ridgeway over three days, raising a grand total of £4,625 for the #Willdoes charity.

Dave on the Wessex RidgewayDave on the Wessex Ridgeway (Image: The Hairy Veterans)

The #Willdoes charity is dedicated to the memory of William Paddy, ‘a sporty, charismatic child with a cheeky smile who grew up near Swanage, and enjoyed horse riding, snow boarding, rugby and tennis.’

Will PaddyWill Paddy (Image: The Hairy Veterans)

Sadly, Will died aged 14 and Will's mother, Lesley, set up the charity to help young people who may be finding life tough, struggling to cope with daily life.

Mike, from Bovington, and Dave, from Essex, started their hike in the village of Ashmore on the Dorset/Wiltshire border and made the ‘gruelling journey’ across Dorset, finally finishing Lyme Regis.

Dave said: "The Hairy Veterans is all about advocating positive mental health by pursuing outdoor activity. The whole experience has been very rewarding, spending time in the beautiful countryside with your best friend for a good cause, for me, it doesn’t get any better.”

Mike and Dave in their army daysMike and Dave in their army days (Image: The Hairy Veterans)

The ex-Royal Armoured Corps soldiers who served together on operational duty in Iraq and Afghanistan were supported by a number of local companies with Babcock and AFC Bournemouth giving large donations.

AFC Bournemouth chequeAFC Bournemouth cheque (Image: The Hairy Veterans)He added: “We have been blown away by the support.”

READ MORE: Veterans on the march to highlight mental health and for cause in memory of teenager

The former soldiers who have remained best friends since leaving the army started a social media page to record their passion for outdoor adventure and history but realised something was missing and decided to start raising money for worthy causes, advocating positive mental health and raising awareness of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

Mike presents Les with a cheque from BabcockMike presents Les with a cheque from Babcock (Image: The Hairy Veterans) Lesley Paddy, the founder of #Willdoes said: “To see Mike and Dave arrive in Lyme Regis brought tears to my eyes. The support and kindness that they’ve shown to the charity has been incredible. What an amazing show of resilience on what couldn't have been a worse weekend to take on the Wessex Ridgeway. My son Will, after which the charity is named, would have been so proud.”

To donate to their cause visit www.justgiving.com/page/the-hairy-veterans-1708884136112.