North Yorkshire Council’s chair, Cllr George Jabbour, has completed the Coast-to-Coast walk, raising thousands of pounds for his chosen charity of the year, Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
The 190-mile route, which runs from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Yorkshire coast, took Cllr Jabbour 18 days to complete in two stages.
He began on August 2 and faced both gale-force winds from Storm Floris and sweltering summer heat during the trek.
He crossed the finish line at Robin Hood’s Bay on Tuesday afternoon, where he was welcomed by the air ambulance charity’s mascots, Pilot Percy and Paramedic Polly.
So far, Cllr Jabbour has raised more than £4,200 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, with more fundraising challenges to come during his year as Chair. His next test will be the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in early September, which he will tackle alongside other supporters and members of the air ambulance crew.
Speaking after completing the Coast-to-Coast, he said: “It has been a wonderful experience, and I have really enjoyed it; it’s given me a huge sense of achievement. Walking over 190 miles through such varied conditions has been both challenging and rewarding, but knowing I was raising money for such an important cause has kept me motivated.
“Even though the Coast-to-Coast challenge covers a huge distance, it is only a tiny proportion of the area the YAA has to cover every day. That has really put things into perspective and made me even more determined to continue supporting their vital work.”
Yorkshire Air Ambulance serves five million people across the region and responded to more than 1,300 missions last year. The charity relies entirely on donations and fundraising to keep its helicopters flying.
Katie Roberts, director of relationship fundraising at Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: “We would like to congratulate Cllr Jabbour on completing this incredible challenge.
“Walking 190 miles is no small feat, and we are so grateful for his dedication in raising both vital funds and awareness for Yorkshire Air Ambulance. The support we receive through challenges like this ensures we can continue saving lives across Yorkshire.”
Although entries for this year’s YAA Three Peaks Challenge have now closed, supporters are being encouraged to sign up for the 2026 event or to take on their own challenges to raise money.
Donations to Cllr Jabbour’s fundraising can be made via his JustGiving page.
More information about Yorkshire Air Ambulance and how to support the charity is available at www.yaa.org.uk.
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