AN appeal for high visibility safety jackets for the team supporting a 76-year-old Newton Abbot man on a forthcoming sponsored walk has brought success.

After reading the story of Dennis Back’s brave determination to walk from Penn Inn to the Mid-Devon Constitutional Club in the town’s Union Street, the Rotary Club of Newton Abbot has come forward with the jackets.

Not only that but the Rotary club has promised £50 in sponsorship, and Dennis is matching that himself, ‘just to prove to myself I can do it’.

Martin Smith, of the Rotary Club of Newton Abbot, said the club tried to support all community initiatives and felt this was a very worthwhile cause being undertaken by someone going that extra mile.

Dennis, of Queensway, Buckland, has set his heart on walking the two-mile route on Wednesday July 4, and members of the constitutional club are making up the the back-up support team.

To Dennis, two miles is an epic journey, for 13 months ago a crashing fall at home left the retired grass consultant and gardener with the virtual loss of his legs. During an operation he had three screws inserted into his spine.

Now he is mostly confined to a wheelchair but he intends to walk the route with the use of a walking frame. He estimates it will take him some six hours.

‘I just had to do something for what I considered to be a very worthy cause and at the same time undertake something that would be extremely difficult to me, so I chose Torbay Hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit,’ he said.

Anyone who would like to sponsor Dennis can do so by contacting the Mid-Devon Constitutional Club on 01626 202098 or by telephoning Dennis’ wife Katrina on 07818 411915.