A MINEHEAD grandfather has completed a 630-mile trek from Minehead to Poole in Dorset, raising £1,750 for charity along the way.

John Boniface, 65, undertook the challenge to raise money for CMT UK, a charity that supports his granddaughter, Abbie.

Abbie suffers from the condition Charcot Marie Tooth (CMT), which causes muscle weakness in the lower legs and hands.

John completed the challenge on Saturday by walking to the CMT UK head offices in Bournemouth.

He was greeted by his family, including Abbie, and other supporters.

He said: “This turned out to be quite some challenge, but I’m delighted with the amount I’ve raised.

“This walk has renewed my faith in humanity; I met some amazing people who donated when they heard my story.

“It was also fantastic to be greeted by everyone and the charity held a small party for me.

“I’m hoping some of the funds raised will go towards funding further research or raising awareness.

“The condition has caused my granddaughter a lot of pain and has led to her immobility, too.

“Abbie has gone through several operations over the last few years and has missed a lot of school, but she was always commended by her teachers for being conscientious in catching up and for her brave spirit.

“I’m very proud of Abbie and this has kept me going through any tough times.”

CMT UK’s chief operating officer Karen Butcher said: “On behalf of the charity I would like to say how grateful we are to John for giving up six weeks of his time to raise funds for us.

“We realise that the trek would have been tough, both mentally and physically, and we’re all delighted with this amazing achievement and the amount he’s raised.”

To make a donation to John’s Just Giving page, visit www.justgiving.com/teams/SWC-Path14.

To contact CMT UK, call 01202 432048 or email info@cmtuk.org.uk