POPULAR Fermanagh man Grant Weir continued his “Going for a walk, hi” fundraiser last week in Lisbellaw.

On Sunday, Grant teamed up with members of Lisbellaw Veterans Group to work towards his goal of walking 26.2 miles before his 64th birthday, on January 8 next.

The former solider began his walk in November on Remembrance Day.

Lisbellaw is an important place for the family as Grant grew up in the village, and his family lived there when he was seriously injured in a bomb attack carried out by the Provisional IRA on July 17, 1979.

The attack left the young Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) solider severely mentally and physically injured, with the blast also claiming the life of Missionary Sylvia Crowe, as well as injuring two others.

On the latest leg of his fundraiser, the group walked from the Parish Hall in Lisbellaw to Creamery Park, where Grant and his family had previously lived, and then they walked back to the Parish Hall.

Grant and his family have been overwhelmed by the support he has received, according to his sister, Michelle Nixon.

She said: “So far, we have raised £5,900, which is an unbelievable amount of money. It’s a mind-blowing amount of money to have raised.”

The family hope that Grant will have reached the 20-mile mark on Sunday after his walk.

Michelle added that the fundraiser has helped to motivate Grant. She said: “The lockdown had a massive impact on Grant, especially his mobility, but the challenge has helped to improve his mobility massively.

"We show him how much has been raised, every day, which really motivates him and encourages him to get out.”

Michelle told this newspaper that support from Grant has come from far and wide.

She said: "We’ve had donations from all over the place, including Canada and Australia.”

David Walker, the Chairman of Lisbellaw Veteran’s Group, added: “We are very proud to be walking alongside Grant, who has been a member of our village, and is an honorary member of our veteran’s group.

"For him to walk 26 miles is a big feat. As veterans, we will support him in any endeavour. The whole village is behind him.”

The family are donating all proceeds to two local charities – South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF), and The Ely Centre, Enniskillen – which provide support to veterans, but also other victims/survivors impacted by The Troubles.

The funds raised will be concentrated on funding for counselling for mental health.

The Weir family have opened a GoFundMe page for donations, at https://tinyurl.com/y4xw6l7z; donations can also be sent directly to the two charities.