A VETERAN who provides fitness classes in Gwent is holding a walk up Sugar Loaf Mountain to raise funds for two charities close to his heart.

Graham Betty, who runs Be The Best Military Fitness with his partner Laura Kirkham-Jones, does a lot of work with the Royal British Legion.

The company built and managed the course for The Great Gwent Poppy Run in November.

Now, Mr Betty, from Cwmbran, is hoping to raise more funds for the Royal British Legion and Mind through a walk up Sugar Loaf Mountain on January 14.

The event, which is open to anyone, is £10 for adult and £5 per child.

The 37-year-old, who was a physical training instructor and combat engineer for the army for eight years, left the army in 2014 after being diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and still suffers from anxiety problems, panic attacks and flashbacks.

Mr Betty, who served in Iraq, said: “Being part of Be The Best Military Fitness has helped me massively with my condition. It gives me a sense of focus and a sense of being part of a team.

“I get a lot of out helping other people get fit while raising money for charities that are close to my heart. I am trying to raise awareness of mental health.”

Mr Betty said they started the company in 2015 and now have four instructors in total.

He added: “We are a very passionate and enthusiastic team and most of our instructors are serving or ex-serving military physical training instructors (PTI’s) who use their training and experience to give a unique training experience.”

“I couldn’t do it without them,” the veteran said. “The PTSD has left me unable to cope running the business on my own and I am very lucky to have Laura, who manages the day-to-day running of the company, along with instructors and the volunteers.”

Visit bethebestmilitaryfitness.co.uk