A BALLOCH man is to hike the length of Loch Lomond to raise money for a charity working with young people.

Kevin Unitt is a land operations manager and has worked for Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority for five years.

He has decided to hike 40 miles of the West Highland Way on October 6 to raise money for Venture Scotland, a charity which supports vulnerable young people to access outdoor spaces for their mental health.

But Kevin’s life didn’t begin exploring the beautiful scenery of Scotland. When he was 18-years-old he was thrown into a police cell overnight after a plastic pellet gun incident on his local estate in his home town, in the Midlands.

He told the Reporter: “I was young and made a few bad decisions in my life. It would have been very easy to go off the rails. I can imagine a couple of more wrong decisions on my part and I could have ended up in the wrong place.

“It can go one or two ways for anyone. Others might still be in that place now. And they’re trying to get out.

“I’d like to help, in some small way, get some of them there, and that is what I see Venture Scotland trying to prevent for young people in Scotland.”

Many years later, on a sunny day in Scotland, Kevin helped lead a group from the Venture Trust up Conic Hill, overlooking Loch Lomond, to carry out some practical maintenance work, digging out muddy and clogged up ditches.

Kevin said: “During the day you could literally see the fruits of the labour blossom as their shoulders relaxed and they began to enjoy the work they were doing. It really did pay off.”

Kevin has chosen the date for his hike on the West Highland Way to celebrate the trail’s 40th birthday.

The charity that Kevin is raising money for has not been recommended for funding from Glasgow City Council’s Communities Fund, so every penny is vital to supporting young people in Dumbarton, the Vale and surrounding area.

He said: “To live and work for the park is a dream come true. Being outdoors and physically active is where I get my satisfaction after my own path was made up of different careers and didn’t really get much out of it.

“The charity help with people on a long-term basis to improve their wellbeing which is why it is vital they need funding as much as possible.”

For more information and to donate to his cause search “Kevin Unitt” on JustGiving.