A father and son from Independence Support Ltd (ISL) are taking on a 71-mile charity walk from Wembley Stadium to Northampton to raise funds and awareness for mental health.
From 23 to 27 March, Dave, Chief Executive of ISL, and his son Sean, ISL’s Fitness, Nutrition, Health and Wellbeing Advisor and a serving Royal Air Force serviceman nearing the end of almost 20 years of service, are walking over five days from Wembley to the Frank Bruno Foundation in Northampton.
The challenge begins at Wembley Stadium, the site of one of British boxing’s most memorable moments, where Frank Bruno won the world heavyweight title in 1995. It will end with Frank joining Dave and Sean for the final mile, connecting a landmark moment in British sport with a cause that continues to matter deeply to communities across the country.
The walk has been organised to support the Frank Bruno Foundation, which helps people of all ages with their mental health through boxing, routine, fitness and structure, and to encourage more open conversations about mental wellbeing across communities and generations.
Dave began his career in social care more than 20 years ago as a frontline support worker, working directly with people with learning disabilities and mental health needs. He later progressed through management roles and now leads ISL as Chief Executive, while continuing to volunteer wherever possible to stay closely connected to the realities facing communities and support services.
Sean’s role at ISL focuses on physical health, nutrition and wellbeing for vulnerable adults, helping embed healthier routines for both colleagues and the people the organisation supports. Alongside this work, he is nearing the end of more than two decades in the RAF, including several overseas operational tours. During his military career, he represented the RAF in Taekwondo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, trained as a Mental Health First Aider and developed a strong understanding of the importance of physical resilience, routine and mental wellbeing.
For both men, this challenge is about much more than distance.
Dave said: “Mental health affects every family. Doing this walk with my son makes it incredibly personal. Frank has always been open about his own journey, and supporting his Foundation felt like the right thing to do.”
Sean said: “We have both seen, in different ways, how important routine, resilience and support can be to mental wellbeing. This challenge is about raising money for a cause that is helping people in a practical way, while also showing that these conversations need to be had more openly.”
The walk builds on a charity challenge completed by Dave and Sean last year, when they took on the ‘Walk to Work’, covering 99 miles, clocking 226,651 steps and raising £3,342 for local charity partners. Long days, muddy fields, unexpected detours and physical exhaustion made that challenge demanding, but it also proved how a shared physical effort could engage colleagues, partners and communities in meaningful conversations around mental health.
That experience helped inspire this year’s event and strengthened the connection between ISL and the Frank Bruno Foundation, which began after Frank Bruno attended ISL’s annual awards ceremony last year and spoke openly about his career, life beyond boxing, his mental health journey and the Foundation’s work.
The values behind the Foundation closely reflect ISL’s own approach, centred on empowerment, prevention, opportunity and helping people lead happier, more independent lives within their communities.
Dave and Sean hope the walk will raise vital funds and encourage more open conversations around mental health.
Fundraising link:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/wembley-to-northampton
