An experienced runner has completed a 600-kilometer challenge to raise money and awareness for water conservation charity Wild About The Erme River (WATER).

The Vice Chair and Lead Land Co-ordinator, John Mildmay-White, set off from Mothecombe beach on March 6 before crossing the finish line in London 10 days later.

A group of local runners, alongside friends, family, and South West Devon MP Rebecca Smith, were at the end point at Westminster Bridge to greet Mildmay-White as he finished the ‘Run for the Rivers’ challenge.

“It was quite emotional, especially seeing my wife and children there,” said Mildmay-White.

“I thought I’d have lots of time to think during the run, but I was so focused on conserving my energy, and when I’d next eat, I didn’t reflect on the achievement until after.”

Mildmay-White has raised over £30,000 and said the experience helped raise awareness of the work WATER, and other like-minded charities, are doing to protect British rivers.

The aim of the immense challenge was to follow different rivers from Devon and London whilst meeting different people along the way.

Mildmay-White said that he has always enjoyed group running, so it was “really special” to have people join him along his journey, as his challenge aimed to highlight the “plight of our rivers” and raise crucial funds.

Some people came to support Mildmay-White himself, such as his brother, who joined on the final day - a moment Mildmay-White described as “extra special”.

Others were ‘river enthusiasts’, who joined to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences of tackling water pollution.

South West Devon MP Rebecca Smith, who has been a vocal advocate for improving water quality in the area, commented: "It was a real pleasure to be at the finish line in London to see John complete his extraordinary 600km run and raise over £30,000 for Wild About The Erme River.

“I also had the chance to raise John’s fantastic achievement with the Leader of the House in Parliament on Thursday, March 19, so that it is now permanently on the parliamentary record. His efforts have helped shine a much-needed spotlight on improving water quality, and he should be incredibly proud of what he’s achieved.”

Wild About The Erme River said the money raised will help the organisation build its own water testing programme, gathering information from multiple water sources, to get a better understanding of the pollution situation in the area.

With this, WATER will develop an evidence-based Action Plan to hold ‘pollution perpetrators’ to account and improve water quality.

Mildmay-White said he is “grateful to everyone he met along the way” and the positive energy shared to tackle the water crisis. “Anger is a powerful tool, but it doesn’t achieve anything without action,” he said.

“If you are feeling deflated or depressed, as many of us are, you can do something about it - we can all take baby steps and channel that anger into something positive.”

The JustGiving page remains active for donations, or the charity can be contacted through their website.