Dorset brewer Hall & Woodhouse (H&W) has partnered with Sport in Mind to help two friends undertake a 150-mile walking challenge, from Lyme Regis to Reading.

In aid of National Walking month, Nathan Bingham and Jack Wright created a challenge to help raise awareness of Sport in Mind, and to encourage people to be active for their mental health.

The independent family-owned brewer provided accommodation and refreshments to support the two friends over the finish line.

Nathan and Jack both completed over 300,000 steps each and visited six H&W pubs during their challenge.

The walk began at H&W’s Royal Lion Hotel in Lyme Regis and covered The Ship Inn Weymouth, Smuggler’s Inn Osmington, Lulworth Cove Inn, The Beach House in Milford-on-Sea, and The Holly Blue in Basingstoke.

Team members from the Holly Blue and H&W’s brewery joined the pair for some of the challenge to show their support.

Nathan said: “As life-long friends we’ve both suffered low points in our lives and being open with each other has been a lifeline in these moments.

“Walking offers an ideal space for these conversations and can go a long way in making someone’s day a lot better.

“We’re not asking for sponsorship in the traditional sense, but are instead asking people to pledge their time to organise a walk with friends and family.

“This is to curate a safe and comfortable environment to have a meaningful conversation about mental health.”

To date, Nathan and Jack have received over 120 pledges from people across the world including from Kenya, Peru, and Japan.

Jon Mead, Innovation Manager at Hall & Woodhouse, said: “I have been a supporter of Sport in Mind for many years and undertaken similar challenges to Jack and Nathan.

“I therefore understand first-hand the passion and determination that goes into completing a walk such as this.

“When I first heard about the challenge, I just knew we would have to do something to help.

“A key purpose of ours at Hall & Woodhouse is making people’s day, so it was essential we supported the boys in doing our bit to ensure they completed their trek.

“We have also encouraged our own team to get outdoors, move, and talk about their own mental health. It is so important.”