A VISIT to Nazi concentration camp convinced James Read to volunteer for a 50-mile charity walk along the Great Wall of China.

Mr Read, of Yew Tree Cottage, Hanley Swan, was teaching English in Poland when he visited the infamous Auschwitz.

"Walking around there made you realise how lucky you are to be alive and to have opportunities available to you," he said.

"It made me feel I wanted to put something back into the community.

"When I got home, I heard about this walk in aid of the National Star Centre at Cheltenham and decided that was what I would do."

A visit to the centre, which provides training for young adults with physical or sensory disabilities, confirmed his enthusiasm for the charity.

The Great Wall Walk takes place in November and Mr Read, aged 32, will be taking the opportunity to do as much hill walking as possible in the meantime.

He said: "I'm funding the cost of the trip myself but I still have to raise another £1,150 in sponsorship, which will all go directly to the centre."

To sponsor Mr Read, call 01684 310741.