BBC Traitors finalist Andrew Jenkins is making his way to Dumfriesshire on a 1,200km charity trek across the UK.
The reality TV star has spent this week in Scotland after launching Andrew’s Big Trek on Sunday at Ardross Castle in the Highlands, where the hit programme was filmed.
Andrew, from South Wales, is walking around 40km per day between castles in each of the four home nations over 42 days.
Along the way he is raising funds for Headway and awareness of brain injury among the communities he stays in, openly talking about trauma and the importance of addressing mental health.
He is due to arrive in Sanquhar on Monday, October 14, and will stay there overnight, after leaving Glengavel Reservoir in South Lanarkshire, on day 16 of the trek. The next day he will walking between Sanquhar and Thornhill, where he will spend the night.
On Wednesday, October 16, he’ll leave for Lochmaben, where he’ll stay before heading to Annan the following day.
He will wave goodbye to the region on Friday, October 18, as he heads over the border into Carlisle and onwards to finish his journey, criss-crossing to include stops at Lancaster Castle in England and Carrickfergus Castle in Northern Ireland before walking through Wales to end the end point at Cardiff Castle.
Andrew has already raised more than £23,000 for the charity and supporters can contribute to his cause by donating online at his Givestar page at https://givestar.io/gs/the-big-trek-95442 or into his collection bucket en route.
The money that Andrew raises will go towards essential Headway services, such as the emergency fund, which helps family members be at the bedside of their loved one in critical care, or the charity’s nurse-led helpline, which provides essential information and emotional support to brain injury survivors and their families.
He captivated TV audiences earlier this year when he spoke about his near-fatal car crash of 1999 in which he said: “My dreams were taken from me, and my life was rewritten.”
He said: “Driving home from a wedding, my wheel hit the kerb and the car flipped onto its side. I was thrown out of the driver’s window and dragged along the floor for a couple of hundred yards before the car finished sliding, leaning on top of me. When the emergency services arrived, they initially thought I was dead.
“I suffered significant physical injuries including a serious traumatic brain injury. My loved ones were told I may never wake up and if I did, I may not recognise anyone, walk, or talk again. But when I did finally wake up, I was determined to defy the odds and learned to walk again.
“Now I am bringing that same unshakable determination to this new challenge.
He added: “My recovery has been a long journey, and I am passionate about talking about my experiences and encouraging others to talk about the adversities they’ve faced in life. This route is the perfect opportunity and I’m so excited to meet people along the way, and to raise awareness of the incredible work that Headway does for brain injury survivors across the UK.”