Raymond Aquilina, a 72-year-old retiree, father of two and grandfather of two, will be walking from Canterbury to Rome in aid of Caritas Malta.

A statement issued by Caritas Malta said that Aquilina has a deep passion for trekking that began when he was a young man, with his first experience coming as part of a challenge to earn the Duke of Edinburgh Award back in 1976.

In 2015, Aquilina completed his first Camino, walking from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela, a distance of nearly 640km over 26 days.

Since then, he has completed 13 Caminos, the most recent of which was in October last year.

In 2023, Aquilina undertook his longest Camino, walking the Ruta de La Lana from Valencia to Santiago de Compostela, a 1,150km journey completed in 34 days.

This marked his 70th birthday, and to celebrate, he decided to dedicate this challenge to Caritas Malta, raising €3,750 in donations.

Last year, Aquilina had planned to walk the Via Francigena from Canterbury to St Peter's Square in Rome.

His main goal was once again to raise funds for Caritas Malta. Unfortunately, he had to postpone the walk after being diagnosed with cancer and beginning treatment, the statement said.

This year, which coincides with the Jubilee of Hope, a year that holds great meaning for Aquilina, he plans to finally take on the Via Francigena in aid of Caritas Malta.

The Via Francigena in Italy is the earliest and most important route that, during the Medieval era, connected countries beyond the Western Alps with Rome, the primary destination for pilgrims at the time, alongside Jerusalem and Santiago de Compostela.

Aquilina will walk the Via Francigena, which spans a distance of 2,300 kilometres, beginning at Canterbury Cathedral on 17 May,  and will be divided into two phases:

The first phase starts from Canterbury Cathedral to Aosta, where he plans to arrive on 23 June after 39 days of walking.

Then, the second phase starts from Aosta to St Peter's Square in Rome, towards the end of September/October, over another 35 days of walking.

Aquilina will undertake this initiative in support of Caritas Malta, choosing Caritas because the organisation provides a ray of hope to those most vulnerable and facing social difficulties.

Donations can be sent directly to Raymond Aquilina via Revolut or BOV mobile number: 99876542.