SIMON Clark has recently been braving the lanes and footpaths of the South Hams on a year-long run around mainland Britain’s wiggly coast.

Simon, 57, is running to celebrate Ecologia Youth Trust’s 20th anniversary, and is well on his way to achieving his goal of raising at least £20,000 for its work with orphans and disadvantaged youngsters around the world.

On day 208, Wednesday, November 30, Simon left Plymouth on the A379 - with the ferry crossings of the Yealm and Avon not running in the winter months. He headed towards Modbury where he coincidentally bumped into an old school friend in the Exeter Inn and stayed the night.

The next day, he ran towards Churchstow, then South Milton and down to the coast at Hope Cove where he rejoined the coast path.

He then ran from Bolt Tail to Bolt Head and into Salcombe, catching the last ferry to East Portlemouth in the dark. In search of food and warmth, he ran straight to the Pig’s Nose in East Prawle, before heading down to Prawle Point to camp for the night.

The next day, he followed the coast path towards Start Point, around Start Bay passed Hallsands, Beesands and Torcross and on to Dartmouth.

He spent the evening in the Bayards Cove Inn regaling stories of his adventures. Unfortunately the inn was full, so Simon setup camp on Dyers Hill for the night.

‘It’s difficult to find a flat piece of land in Dartmouth!’ Simon said.

The next day, Simon caught the ferry across the Dart and ran to Berry Head before making his way along the coast to Torquay.

Simon set off from his home near Findhorn, Scotland on Easter Sunday, March 27, carrying only 11 kilograms of equipment.

He has been running between 15 and 25 miles a day since, while still managing to keep up with his architectural design work on his laptop!

His anti-clockwise route has taken him up to John O’Groats, around Scotland’s wild Cape Wrath, down it’s magnificent but midge-infested west coast, across the border into Cumbria and Merseyside, along Wales’ stunning coastal path and onto the Westcountry.

With just a bivvy bag to protect him, he has endured some cold, wet nights but, more than that, he has been overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness people have shown, from gifts of food and cups of tea to spare rooms and sofas to sleep on.

Simon is dedicating his journey of self-discovery to supporting Ecologia Youth Trust’s work with neglected and orphaned children facing their own tremendous challenges.

He explained: ‘Giving - no doubt at times, grinding out - effort to benefit youngsters who have less fortuitous circumstances than mine seems the least I can do, and the thought of carrying and needing very little, while asking others to give a lot to improve the lives of children seems the best of affairs.’

The Ecologia Youth Trust is a small, Scottish charity, with a vision for a world in which all young people can thrive within their own communities. For 20 years it has been working to enable children and young people who have been abandoned, neglected or orphaned to realise their own individual potential.

Working with local partners in Kenya, Uganda, Russia and Myanmar, Ecologia supports them to create sustainable, resilient communities by improving their education, health and welfare, and by helping them to protect their environment.

To follow Simon’s journey around Britain, his current position can be found on a live map at www.ecologia.org.uk/run-around-britain.

To donate, please visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/justalittlerun, where you can find examples of what your money could buy alongside photos from Ecologia’s projects.

Every penny goes a long way in the countries in which EYT works and all donations are gratefully received. As Simon is running without any support team and can only carry a limited amount, offers of meals and beds or floors to sleep on are also welcomed, as are company and encouragement from other runners en route.

For further information on the Ecologia Youth Trust, visit www.ecologia.org.uk.