The two Fed leaders will hike more than 500km in 12-14 days.

The BTP Fed Chair and the CEO of the CNC Fed will jointly hike the distance from the Civil Nuclear Fed base through to the BTP Fed office to raise funds for PTSD999.

Stuart Cowan and Gary Thwaite will cover more than 500km in 12 to 14 days.

PTSD999 is a non-profit organisation created in 2015 to provide support as well as source and fund treatment and provide training on the impact PTSD can have for those within the emergency services and their families. The organisation operates on a 100% volunteer basis.

Both men have begun a training programme including gym sessions and low level 10km walks during the week with progressive training at the weekends, with distances increasing from 30km to 120km leading up to the challenge.

Gary Thwaite said: “We hear a lot about mental health these days, especially in policing. There’s a lot of good work ongoing to reduce the stigma attached to mental health but simply, we still need to do more. It’s a sad truth that most of us within policing have lost friends, colleagues or even family members to suicide.”

Stuart Cowan added: “So many officers are suffering with their mental health. I have faced my own challenges as a result of my work, but I consider myself lucky because I took the support that was offered and bounced back. If doing this challenge with Gary encourages just one person to reach out, then it will all be worth it.”

You can access their fundraising page here.