NEXT month sees the start of an epic 10-week challenge to walk the Welsh Coast Path.

Aim of the marathon 870-mile trek,. 'Walk on Wales', is to raise £1 million for two well deserving charities, the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal and Combat Stress.

The walk, which is due to start on August 25 and is expected to take 70 days to complete, will be undertaken by 11 relay teams, who will be coming together to remember those that have fallen and to help those who are dealing with the trauma of war.

Each team will be led by a serving or veteran Guardsman and walking alongside them will be the family and friends of the servicemen and women they are supporting

Indeed, veteran and serving soldiers and people from across the globe have already signed up to walk with them.

"Our ambition is to encourage 4,000 people or more to join us along the way, each pledging to raise £250, in order to reach our £1 million target," said a spokesperson.

Inspired by the book, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, the walk was conceived by two veteran Welsh Guardsmen, Jan Koops and Dai Graham, both Falklands veterans, who experienced at first hand the impact that active service has on the lives of soldiers and their families when many colleagues were lost on the troopship 'Sir Galahad'.

And, at the very heart of the Walk on Wales challenge, will be a specially commissioned silver baton which has been inscribed with the names of the 50 Welsh Guardsmen who have died in action while serving their country in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The baton embodies the spirit of these brave men, most of whom were well known to the people who will be carrying it on the walk..

First leg of the 11-stage trek is from Cardiff to Chepstow from August 25 to 28, with the walk due to reach Pembrokeshire at the beginning of October on the leg from New Quay to Whitesands Bay.

Two other legs will also then take in the county's own magnificent coast path and coastline: October 9 - 14, Whitesands Bay to Freshwater East; and October 16 - 21 Freshwater West to Burry Port.

The walk is due to finish back at its starting point in Cardiff on November 2.

For further information about the event contact [email protected]">[email protected]

FOOTNOTE: Walk on Wales is also offering a unique opportunity to individuals and businesses to sponsor a day of the walk or one of the teams. Sponsorship packagaes start at £1,000 for a day, which includes the opportunity to join the walk, branding on the website and mentions in Twitter and Facebook campaigns.

Again, if you are interested, you should contact [email protected]">[email protected] for further information.