OH! IT'S A LOVELY WALK! - The Great York Walk 1916/2026
Gary Brannan
Fundraising as part of team:
Team Borthwick
My Story
I’ll be walking The Great York Walk this year in full British First World War uniform, wearing full webbing, to honour my great-grandfather, Private John William Brannan (9223), who served on the front lines in 1916 in the 11th Service Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. In May 1916, he was on the front lines at Hannescamps, near Arras. By the second day of the Somme, he had been invalided out for the rest of the war.
The uniform will include cap, jacket, trousers, and webbing, along with puttees - though, in the interests of survival over authenticity, I’ll be wearing modern boots.
I'll be wearing the cap badge and shoulder titles of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, but in recognition of my great-grandfather, Pte. Harold Sykes of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, I'll be wearing a KOYLI cap badge for the second half of the walk
Sponsor me to take on The Great York Walk
I’m undertaking The Great York Walk, a 20-mile (32km) challenge around York on 16 May, to help transform the state of mental health in York and beyond.
I need your support.
In the UK, up to one in four adults and one in ten children experience a mental health problem each year. These are not distant statistics—they affect our families, our colleagues, and our communities. They need to change.
Alongside a wide and varied group of participants—some with strong connections to York, others simply committed to the cause—we will walk 20 miles to raise funds and awareness.
Please give whatever you can. Every contribution will make a tangible difference.
About Mentally Fit York
This walk is in support of Mentally Fit York, an initiative of the University of York that promotes positive mental health locally, nationally, and internationally.
Funds raised will support both frontline initiatives and research, including:
- 24/7 mental health support for students in York
- Mental Health Nursing Scholarships
- Research into mental health conditions and barriers to accessing care
All projects are guided by an expert panel of researchers, practitioners, and advocates, ensuring that support reaches where it is most needed.
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Target
£2,000
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Raised so far
£2,260
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Number of donors
77
My Story
I’ll be walking The Great York Walk this year in full British First World War uniform, wearing full webbing, to honour my great-grandfather, Private John William Brannan (9223), who served on the front lines in 1916 in the 11th Service Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. In May 1916, he was on the front lines at Hannescamps, near Arras. By the second day of the Somme, he had been invalided out for the rest of the war.
The uniform will include cap, jacket, trousers, and webbing, along with puttees - though, in the interests of survival over authenticity, I’ll be wearing modern boots.
I'll be wearing the cap badge and shoulder titles of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, but in recognition of my great-grandfather, Pte. Harold Sykes of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, I'll be wearing a KOYLI cap badge for the second half of the walk
Sponsor me to take on The Great York Walk
I’m undertaking The Great York Walk, a 20-mile (32km) challenge around York on 16 May, to help transform the state of mental health in York and beyond.
I need your support.
In the UK, up to one in four adults and one in ten children experience a mental health problem each year. These are not distant statistics—they affect our families, our colleagues, and our communities. They need to change.
Alongside a wide and varied group of participants—some with strong connections to York, others simply committed to the cause—we will walk 20 miles to raise funds and awareness.
Please give whatever you can. Every contribution will make a tangible difference.
About Mentally Fit York
This walk is in support of Mentally Fit York, an initiative of the University of York that promotes positive mental health locally, nationally, and internationally.
Funds raised will support both frontline initiatives and research, including:
- 24/7 mental health support for students in York
- Mental Health Nursing Scholarships
- Research into mental health conditions and barriers to accessing care
All projects are guided by an expert panel of researchers, practitioners, and advocates, ensuring that support reaches where it is most needed.
