THE London Marathon may be over for another year, but a group of workmates are preparing to put their best foot forward for a local good cause.

Ten employees from the Co-op in Corfe Mullen are taking part in a sponsored walk in aid of our Let's Help Neil campaign, which aims to raise £30,000 to buy new prosthetic limbs for Corporal Neil Heritage, who lost both legs in a suicide bombing in Iraq.

The 24-year-old, from Hamworthy, spent two months in hospital following the incident at Camp Dogwood, just south of Baghdad, last November.

Neil's colleagues at London-based Explosive Ordnance Disposal set up the Neil Heritage Fund in order to collect cash to pay for adaptations to the home he shares with partner Claire Renshaw and her son Callum, five.

We are backing that fund by aiming to pay for high-tech prosthetics to replace the ones Neil received on the NHS and are already more than half way towards that target with a total standing at more than £17,000.

The staff members are joining Neil, Claire and Callum in this Sunday's event, which is organised by Nuffield Tops Day Nursery, where Claire works.

Participant Julie Alford said: "He touched our hearts because we've got children of similar ages and it seemed an awful thing to happen to someone."

The walk is from Bournemouth Pier to Boscombe Pier at 10am this Sunday.

See the letter on page 18 for details of the walk.

Anyone wanting to join in can turn up on the day and pay the entry fee.

If you want to donate, send cheques payable to Neil Heritage Fund, to: Lorraine May, Daily Echo, Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, BH2 6HH.

First published: May 9