The leader of a 32-mile charity walk has praised the Sid Valley community for ‘stepping up to the plate’ to raise money for a dementia specialist.

The Red Coast Ramblers revealed this week they had raised £6,000 from their Swan-to-Swan walk, to push the Admiral Nurse Campaign closer to its £100,000 target.

The Reverend Mark Barrett led a team of 17 over the tough coastal terrain from the Abbotsbury swan sanctuary in Dorset to the Swan Inn, Sidmouth, in April. He had thought of the challenge in February and aimed to raise at least £5,000.

Mr Barrett, of All Saints and Salcombe Regis Church, said: “The whole of the community has got behind the Admiral Nurse Campaign and it is a great testament to the community; when they see a need, people step up to the plate.”

Mr Barrett said the walkers collected £4,000 through paper donation forms and a further £1,900 online.

Walkers were tested in the final stretch when they reached the Undercliffs, between Lyme Regis and Seaton, but the determined team made it to the Swan Inn before last orders.

Brian Goulding was the first to complete the challenge, arriving at the pub shortly after 5.30pm - the walkers set off ‘at the crack of dawn’.

The Admiral Nurse Campaign was launched by the Sid Valley Memory Cafe in partnership with the Herald last May to raise two years’ worth of funding for a dementia specialist.

An Admiral Nurse will provide tailored care to help families affected by dementia - from diagnosis through to bereavement care.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) Sidmouth Gospel Choir will take to the stage to boost the campaign further with a special charity concert.

The free event will begin at 7.30pm in All Saints’ Church.

A retiring collection at the end will split the proceeds between the appeal and Sat7, a satellite television charity, which helps churches in the Middle East and Africa.