A Peterborough optician has joined a small team to complete a charity hike in aid of armed forces charity Help for Heroes.

Nicola Hall, dispensing optician at Specsavers Serpentine Green in Hampton, took part in the London Military Landmarks hike on Saturday July 25 with her partner Daniel Penniston, dispensing optician and customer service partner with the Specsavers Home Visits team in Norwich, and her sister Melissa.

The trio battled 29-degree heat to complete the half marathon walk around central London and raised over £300 in the process.

The route took participants past 30 key landmarks and sites from British military history, including the Tower of London, the Bomber Command Memorial and the Women of World War II Monument, amongst others.

placeholder image — Nicola Hall and her team.

Nicola said: “My brother is in the Army, so this charity means a lot to us. This was a great opportunity to challenge myself and I’m proud of us all for what we achieved, especially for such a great cause.

‘The heat was a killer. It got up to 29 degrees with no wind between the buildings of London. The best bit was a pitstop at the Imperial War Museum, where we got to top up our water bottles and have a look round before continuing the hike.”

Help for Heroes provides tailored support for physical and mental health, welfare and social needs for veterans and their families. They also help civilians who served under UK Command, for example Afghan interpreters, and since 2007, Help for Heroes has supported over 25,000 people to live well after service.

The team are still accepting donations to the charity on their JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/page/nicola-gray-6.