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Colin, who 'doubles up' as assistant standard bearer within the Dromore RBL branch, cares deeply about the welfare of military personnel, past and present, and two of the charities he chose to support reflect this.

One of these charities is the annual Poppy Appeal, which needs no introduction.

Harbour House is Colin's other army-related charity, as he explained: “Harbour House has been set up to help our homeless veterans in Northern Ireland and beyond.

“They provide shelter for them and get them settled back into society again.

“They also provide respite breaks for veterans and their families.

“This project is self-funded and depends entirely on voluntary contributions.

“I have seen their premises and was impressed by the professionalism of the staff and the high standard of the facilities.”

The third charity Colin is planning to support is Prostate Cancer Research, and he has a very special reason to do so, as he revealed: “I've lost good friends to this cancer which can creep up on men without any sign at times.

“In the UK one out of eight men will develop this condition, which, if not caught in time, can be fatal.”

Colin will start his 192-mile hike next Monday (May 22), starting on the East coast in the Whitehaven area, and finishing on the West coast, near Scarborough.

Colin explained that this was a well-known route: “I will follow Alfred Wainwright's route and start at St. Bees on the Cumbrian Coast, hike through the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and Yorkshire Moors, finishing at Robin Hood's Bay on the East Yorkshire Coast.

“I hope to finish on June 5 at the latest. All funds raised will be divided equally between those three charities. Any expenses such as travel etc. will be met by myself. “

To donate money, visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/colins-coast-to-coast-charity-constitutional-1