Renfrewshire Council

Craig (left), Joan (right) Our very own Joan Ferguson, from the economic development team, shares her pride in her son Craig's amazing 1,000-mile journey, on foot, from Glasgow to the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany, raising awareness and over £77,000 for Scottish men's mental health charity Brothers in Arms.

Setting off from Scotland's national football stadium in Hampden on 4 May, 20-year-old Craig, from Paisley, arrived to a guard of honour among the Tartan Army and the world's media in Munich on Thursday 13 June 2024.

The 41-day trek took Craig through Scotland, England and on a ferry to the Netherlands, then Belgium and Luxembourg - with overnight stays in hotels to provide some much-needed rest before moving on to Germany.

An exciting, thrilling, but undoubtedly anxious experience...for mum Joan, watching and cheering on from home.

What an achievement! How're you feeling now Joan?
Honestly, the anxiety for me was overwhelming, but I was also super super proud, every single day of how well he was coming across, of how he was representing the charity, himself, young people, Scotland and of course Paisley. Flying the flag for our town as a proud Buddie. I was worried about him and fearful of the isolation and loneliness, but he actually had a ball and met so many wonderful people.

What prompted the decision to walk?
Craig's always been adventurous, looks after his fitness and wellbeing and really enjoys meeting and talking to people. He's been solo travelling for the past few years, so when Scotland made it to the Euro's, he'd never experienced the team making it to that stage of a tournament and he joked with friends about walking there together. In the end, Craig was the only one who could make it, so he decided to go for it solo and visit the six countries on the way there. Without a ticket to any of the matches might I add!

Had he done anything like this before?
Last year he actually did some fundraising for Women and Children First in Renfrewshire. He got a few local businesses involved, completed his trip on International Women's Day and managed to raise £300 for them. But this was obviously on a whole different scale. My sisters and I did the Kilt Walk with him in April, for Brothers in Arms, a true test of his endurance with four middle-aged menopausal women. He survived that so the walk was a breeze after that."

Craig at Stuttgard MHP Arena Tell us about the decision to raise money for Brothers in Arms
He decided if he was going to do this then it needed to be big and for something really close to his heart. Men's mental health is something he knows isn't talked about enough and if he can help in any small way to prevent suicide, he will be happy. He talked to the charity and this message of 'you're not alone, you don't need to struggle' especially in the context of men's football supporters, he hoped would resonate.

He connected with people online and had a great response from local, national and international media too, how did he manage all of that?
He built up his profile on his TikTok and Instagram pages, very much treated it like a job and got into a routine of creating and posting content every day. 40% of his Tik Tok followers are German, they really welcomed him and looked after him.

Brothers in Arms supported the initial PR and organised the BBC, Channel 5 and Sky TV at Hampden when he set off. During his travels he manged all the media requests himself and tried to do accommodate as much as he possibly could. He did really well, he was on the Lorraine tv show, Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, he had daily check-ins on Real Radio and even received a message from the Proclaimers who loved the' 500 miles, then 500 miles more' theme when Craig realised he'd need to walk the extra stretch to Stuttgart for the final game!

Are there any experiences which stand out for you?
There were so many random acts of kindness, people handing cash donations, buying and offering dinner, offering accommodation. At one point he lost his kilt pin. His kilt was like his superhero cape, he would wear it on his journey and people would recognise him and cheer him on. He realised in Hull that he'd lost it but was running out of time before his ferry to Rotterdam. He posted online about it and a Dutchman got in touch to offer Craig his own kilt pin. The man drove an hour down the road to welcome him to the Netherlands with a kilt pin, just incredible.

He was also invited to a men's mental health conference in Berlin, however it meant a significant detour from Stuttgart and he was unlikely to make it on foot. They offered to pay for his travel, so he ended up flying there and getting the train back in time for the final Scotland game. He was there representing Scotland, made a great impression, met John Swinney and ended up at an event at the British Embassy alongside representatives from various mental health charities. He was only one, in his kilt, representing Scotland and they've asked him to come back next year.

How did you cope while he was away, watching from home?
It wasn't easy, but technology was a godsend and meant I was in touch with him every day and could watch his videos. My sister and I walked with him a little part of the way, from Newcastle to Sunderland, which was great. My council colleagues were absolutely tremendous with me because obviously I was an emotional wreck at times, but they were there to pick me up. They really shared in the story, looked forward to asking after Craig every day and made a huge deal of him crossing the finish line in Munich. They even made me a t-shirt saying 'I'm Craig's mum' - it was all so appreciated.

How did Craig deal with challenges along the way?
He faced all weathers, some days he struggled. He documented his struggles and was very honest that some days were much tougher than others. The flatness of Netherlands was challenging, the never-ending horizon, being able to see everything for miles and miles ahead. Scotland and Germany's winding roads were much better, offering surprises around every corner. He got lost in Holland, something to do with GPS, and had to revert to an old-fashioned compass. I was just glad he knew how to use it. The weather on the continent was particularly difficult with thunderstorms, hailstones the size of golf balls in Germany and torrential rain. Had to abandon after walking 12 miles that day, and just got up super early the next day and just did a bit 32 miles the next day and made-up the time. The best of the weather was in Scotland, it's a pity that didn't last long for the rest of us!

Joan sporting her proud mum t-shirt Now his blisters have healed, what's next for Craig?

He gave up his job and is now balancing his charity ambassador role with creating his own travel business which essentially helps budget-conscious solo travellers. He's also continuing his content creation stuff, which people seem to love from the age of 8 right up to 80. How he makes a living from that does need a little explaining for an old fogey like me, but he's being very realistic and seeking advice from Business Support and others. In terms of championing men's mental health, he hopes to be more involved with schools and local football clubs too. He has the confidence and experience to make the best of it all and I'm sure he'll be successful in all he does.

Brothers In Arms founder Dan Proverbs said, 'Craig's determination and passion are truly inspiring. His walk has not only raised much-needed funds but also brought attention to the vital issue of men's mental health. The outpouring of support he has received shows just how much his story has resonated with people. We are incredibly proud of what he has achieved.'

Renfrewshire Council Chief Executive, Alan Russell added, "As a father of sons around Craig's age, I share a sense of how Joan and her family would have felt throughout that epic adventure and how proud she must be. What a fantastic ambassador for young people, for men's mental health, for Scotland and of course Renfrewshire. Congratulations on all you have achieved Craig, we all wish you the very best for your future."

Published Wednesday 31 July 2024