A REDDITCH soldier is set to undertake a 120 mile training exercise in the name of two charities close to his heart.

Colour Sergeant (CSgt) Stuart Collins is once again running a Tactical Advance to Battle (TAB) from DMS Whittington Barracks in Lichfield to the Ukraine Embassy in London.

A TAB is a forced march carrying a heavy backpack usually ending in a battle or training.

This will be the second year that CSgt Collins takes on the challenge of a TAB, having raised £3,500 for charity last year.

He is hoping to raise money for British-Ukrainian Aid and The British Heart Foundation, the latter of on behalf of his late father.

The TAB, which is due to begin on May 24, will cover a distance of around 120 miles - a 50 per cent increase in distance from the 80 mile TAB last year.

CSgt Collins said: "This is the second year that I have chosen to take on a TAB to raise money for charity.

“Both charities are of great importance to me.

“British-Ukrainian Aid support people suffering from the war and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, and The British Heart Foundation conduct vital cardiovascular research to help save lives from heart problems.

“I am passionate about raising money for British-Ukrainian Aid and The British Heart Foundation; they both do incredible work, the latter of which I hold close to my heart due to the passing of my late father.”

CSgt Collins is the only soldier outside of the Ukraine Army to have been awarded a medal from the Ukraine Ministry of Defence for his work on Op ORBITAL- a British military operation to train and support the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

To donate to CSgt Collins’ fundraising visit his two JustGiving pages: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stuart-collins65 and https://www.justgiving.com/page/stuart-collins-1676739502158.