Bradley’s braving the deserts for his children

Meg Jorsh

A FORMER pupil at University College School in Hampstead is taking to the road on a 600-mile charity hike across Israel.

Bradley Cohen will walk the entire length of the country, crossing rivers, mountains and deserts to raise money for children's charities.

He aims to complete the journey in 40 days, travelling 16 miles a day, six days a week. He said: "I think the desert will be the tough part with the scarcity of water and food. But by then my legs will be strong and the blisters will have hardened."

Nonetheless, he is looking forward to the challenge. He said: "It will be amazing to watch the sunset and experience the silence of the desert every night."

Mr Cohen's mission, called All For The Kids, was inspired by volunteer work abroad. He said: "As a Jew the problems in Israel are close to my heart, and having worked closely with impoverished people in India and Africa it's clear to me that their plight is worth fighting for."

Money raised will go to charities in Israel and Malawi, where he recently worked at a school for vulnerable children.

He said: "Once I left I knew I had to do something to help children get access to food, education and loving families."

Mr Cohen hopes his efforts will promote international understanding. "I want to show that people must look after their own community first, but also extend help and support to others," he said.

The difficult hike will be his second, after he completed the 750-mile Shikoku Island pilgrimage in Japan in 2006. The journey took him 40 days through blistering heat, mountainous terrain and two typhoons.

Mr Cohen left UCS some 12 years ago. Current headmaster Kenneth Durham said everyone at the school was behind him on his latest challenge.

"It's a tremendous thing to be undertaking, fairly scary to undertake, and they're wonderful causes he's going to support," said Mr Durham. "We're very proud of him, and hope he succeeds."

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