An 85-year-old man is challenging himself to walk each day to raise money for his local doctors surgery.  

Bob Butler, from Watergate, is seeking to emulate the success of the late Captain Sir Tom Moore in undertaking lengths of walking to raise money for the NHS.  

His plans are, however on a significantly smaller and more local scale, with an intention of raising whatever he can with the intention of giving back to his local doctor’s surgery to say thank you.  

Each day for at least the next three months, Mr Butler, a former manual labourer is doing 1,200 metres distance with the hope of raising the money for the surgeries in Looe, Polperro and Pelynt.  

The distances will be no easy feat, Bob said: “There has been many times over the years where I’ve needed the help of the NHS. I was born with a bad leg on the left-hand side, and after many years of my right one having to do most of the work that’s not very good now either.  

“I also have a heart condition and so it’s a bit of an effort to do this, but I want to give back to my local surgeries. My aim is to do it for at least three months, weather permitting.” 

He said the support the NHS had given him over the years with his health had inspired him to undertake his challenge. 

He continued: “I’ve been in hospital so many times over so many years with my heart, I was getting angina attacks about three times a week and in the end, I finished up with a pacemaker.  They said to me when it was fitted, I shouldn’t get any problems now and they looked after me so well until my pacemaker was fitted.” 

While he acknowledged that he could have raised money for the wider NHS, similar to Captain Sir Tom Moore, Bob said there was a very specific reason his plan was more local in its scale. “Charity begins at home”, he continued, adding: “I am planning to give to a different surgery each month beginning with Millbrook surgery in Looe, the second month Pelynt then Polperro in the third month.” 

“All three surgeries are related so they work together, sometimes you might go Polperro if there’s slots there for example and I always get good service from each.” 

Beyond the three months, Bob said he might continue if the money continues to be donated with the money going to other surgeries.  

The fundraising campaign can be found at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/robert-butler-healthcareservicehelp