Staff at Vistry’s Basingstoke office raise £21k+ for Armed Forces charity with Vietnam trek

Staff from the Basingstoke offices of housebuilder Vistry Group have trekked across Vietnam to raise funds for the Armed Forces charity SSAFA.

Four colleagues from Vistry’s Southern division made up the team of eight taking on the challenge – including senior technical manager Steve Collis (60), technical co-ordinator Will Mullins (24), associate land director Zoe Dennis (35) and head of technical Dave Postle.

They all trained for six months – sometimes individually, but also meeting at lunchtimes for two- to three-mile walks together.

Then it was off to Vietnam, where they joined a larger group of 31 fundraisers along with three guides, a doctor, and representatives from SSAFA and the travel company.

Some of their fellow trekkers were former services personnel themselves who had been supported by SSAFA and wanted to give something back.

Steve said: “It brought it home to me what a great charity it is.

“The support they give to service people and their families is so important, and that’s why it’s such a worthwhile cause.”

Their six-day route covered 110km through rural landscapes, taking in paddy fields, waterfalls and mountains.

Daily treks ranged from three to nine hours.

“It was a privilege to do it and a very special experience,” Steve added.

“I’ve done a lot of nice things in my life, but this was in the top three.

“It was an experience of a lifetime.

“The rural life of Vietnam was amazing to see. They live a simple life – they live off the land and the people are so lovely.

“They haven’t got a lot, but they would give everything. And everywhere you turn there is something amazing to see.

“The scenery is stunning, and the air is clean.”

The team have so far raised over £21,000 for SSAFA thanks to the trip, making up a company-wide total of £659,000 for the charity over the past 12 months.

• To donate, visit their Just Giving page.