The Big Lift:
For all the British families who have lost loved ones in Afghanistan.

Ben Greer completed six tours in Afghanistan, serving as a Chinook helicopter crewman. During these tours he and his colleagues were tasked with providing civilian and military casualty evacuation from the front line, as part of the Immediate Response Team [IRT].
As a result of this service in Afghanistan, Ben knows only too well the awful price paid by so many brave men and women to secure the safe lifestyle which British citizens so regularly take for granted. To date, 441 British service personnel have lost their lives in this conflict, and Ben is undertaking The Big Lift [www.thebiglift.co.uk] to honour each and every one of those individuals and show support for their families.
The Big Lift is a national fundraising and awareness event which is seeing Ben walk 4.41 miles in each of 100 towns and cities the length and breadth of the U.K., one mile for each member of British service personnel killed in the Afghanistan conflict. He is wearing a backpack weighing 100 kilos [220lbs] to reflect the weight of an injured serviceman or woman being carried from the front line.
 “Though the aspiration is to raise in excess of £100,000 over the course of the event, it is more important to create a focal point for the British public to join in and show their support for the families. The events are nationwide, so people all over the UK can participate and express their own support”, said Ben. “This series of events is not pro-war, not political and not religious. It is just pro those who have gone a little further to allow us to live the lives that we do.”
He added:          “Every mile has a name!”
To date Ben has carried his load for over 140 miles in 30 locations.  There are 70 more to go culminating in the final mile from the Cenotaph to Buckingham Palace on 21^st July where he hopes he will be joined by supporters from across the country.
Members of the public can support Ben and his team in many ways – walk a mile with him, make a donation or just “like” the event on Facebook.   Follow him on Twitter @thebiglife2013 or even take control of one of the events to come. So far Ben has raised over £ 8,000 and details of his progress and forthcoming walks can be found at the event website: www.thebiglift.co.uk
The money raised by The Big Lift will be donated to ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, the RAF Benevolent fund, The Royal Navy and Marines Charity, SSAFA and Help for Heroes, where the funds will be used to help those who have lost loved ones to rebuild their lives.
ENDS
Note to editors: for further information please contact
Ben Greer, M: 07970 934537,         Amy Gibson M: 07500 561043, 
Don Greer  01478 612574          E: theteam@the biglift.co.uk