Edinburgh man walks 63 miles for Indonesia tsunami appeal

A brain tumour survivor and former frontline army officer is walking across Scotland to support the Disasters Emergency Committee's (DEC) appeal for victims of the Indonesian Tsunami.
Picture: DECPicture: DEC
Picture: DEC

Archie Douglas, of Edinburgh, who was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour five years ago, is walking the length of the Forth/Clyde and Union canals across Scotland to support DEC’s latest appeal for the victims of the recent Indonesian tsunami.

Archie who has twice served in Afghanistan with the Royal Regiment of Scotland has made a remarkable recovery with the help of pioneering surgery and aggressive radio an chemotherapy but the neurological side effects mean he is currently unable to work.

Instead he has decided to put all his efforts into his personal therapy regime of a strict balanced daily lifestyle along with walking, learning to act, sing and play golf all in an effortto raise funds for DEC.

Archie set off from Bowling on the Clyde in West Dunbartonshire yesterday (Wednesday) and is due to arrive in Edinburgh tomorrow on Friday, a total distance of 63 miles over three days.

Along the way, Archie wants to meet as many people as possible to tell them about the life saving work of the DEC and of course, encourage people to walk with him and support thecurrent appeal for the Indonesian tsunami.

More than 2,000 people have been killed, more than twice that number are missing, feared dead.

Another 10,000 have been injured with 80,000 displaced by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

Across the UK, £17 million has been raised for the appeal, with more than £1.5 million in Scotland alone.

Archie says: “Learning to act, sing, and play golf gives me hope for a future in work.

“Fundraising for the Disasters Emergency Committee to help save the lives and improve the life chances of thousands of people in communities ravaged by disaster gives me apurpose.”

He is one of a number of people across Scotland who are now mobilizing to help drive the fundraising total even higher in the coming days.

Indonesian students are being supported in in a number of campuses around the country.

Many other organisations across the public and private sector are now rallying behind this latest appeal.

The funds raised will be directly used to provide thousands of families with desperately - needed clean drinking water and food as well as medicines, tents and tarpaulins to make emergency shelters.

As the local rainy season approaches, there is a pressing need to help those who are vulnerable, such as the elderly, children, people with disabilities, and pregnant women.

The DEC is urging people to continue donating as £30 could provide emergency shelter for a family, £50 could provide them with food for a month. Donations can be made atwww.dec.org.uk or by texting SUPPORT to 70000.

Texts cost £5 and the whole £5 goes to the DEC Indonesia Tsunami Appeal. You must be 16 or over and please ask the bill payer's permission. For full terms and conditions andmore information go to www.dec.org.uk