A GROUP of hikers are taking on a 126km challenge to raise cash for a hostel that provides emergency accommodation for homeless people.

To celebrate the 21st anniversary of the opening of Branches Hostel in Forest Road, Walthamstow, trustees and their friends will walk the Capital Ring.

The group plans to walk the journey in 10 mile slots over the summer months. They completed the first leg on Saturday, April 29, walking from Walthamstow Marshes to Woolwich Ferry.

Winston Reid, chairman of the trustees of the hostel, is calling on the community to get behind the fundraising campaign.

The 61-year-old retired housing manager said: “We all enjoy walking and it’s pleasurable. The first part of our walk went really well and it wasn’t too arduous.

“We want the community to support us in this. The hostel does great work.

“It gets people off the street and we work with them for up to 18 months and help them to get their lives back on track.”

Branches Hostel accommodates up to 27 homeless men and women at a time. The hostel is partly funded by a grant from Waltham Forest Council.

To donate to the hikers’ campaign click here.