18th Scout Leader and District Commissioner, Simon Gates, has confirmed that the Long Walk Home project, which was announced in July 2008, will go ahead on 15th August.

The Long Walk Home, a 112 mile hike from Cambridge to Brighton's Palace Pier, will run for 5 days and will be a light weight expedition with Simon carrying just a sleeping bag, change of clothes, liquids and food supply.

The route will take him along many country roads and footpaths, covering the six counties of Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Greater London, Surrey and West Sussex.

Simon set the challenge as a dare or "incentive" to get more people involved with the group, either as leaders or supporters. The challenge, in essence, is to recognise the ambitions and achievements of the group and to recognise the direction for which it is heading.

On confirming that the project would go ahead, Simon commented,

"Since I was introduced to Scouting in 2002, it has had a massive impact on my life and the 18th have been a great source of inspiration. The group have led me to test the waters on many occasions. In going out there and experiencing activities for myself, I'm better prepared to advise the young people on their activities...so I'm putting something back into the community. The challenge is encouraging others to do the same."

When questioned on the walk itself he added,

"I anticipate it to be a hard task, especialy for someone with limited experience of long-distance walking. I expect it to be both physically and mentally challenging, and I'm sure I'll hit many barriers along the way, so the test will be to overcome those and set myself realistic expectations."

Along the way, Simon is hoping to keep a video diary to report on his progress whilst updating friends and family via his Facebook account.

The Long Walk Home is named in recognition of Simon's roots to the South coast, having been born in Shoreham-by-Sea, living the first seven years of his life in Worthing and having numerous family connections between Bognor Regis and Brighton.

The hike has also taken on an added significance this year following the deaths of Simon's grandparents, both residents of Hove, East Sussex.

The Long Walk Home will commence at 2pm on Saturday 15th August 2009.

Pictures and video footage from the Long Walk Home will be made available in The Gallery.