Local schoolboy Jack Gray has completed his challenge of walking every day during the month of March and in the process raised over £1,700 for Portfield School.

Apart from the weather, what made the challenge all the more difficult was Jack suffers from disabilities including autism, epilepsy, anxiety and learning and language difficulties.

But this didn’t stop Jack walking every day for 35 days up until March 31, starting by doing half an hour a day and building up to over an hour by the end of the challenge – Jack’s mum Claire says Jack is still insisting on going for a walk even though the challenge is over.

It has not been decided what the money raised will be spent on but one of the suggestions is to use it to improve the school's speech and language department.

Jack, who was born in Haverfordwest, returned to the town in August last year, after moving around due to his father’s army career.

Jack’s mum Claire said she couldn’t believe how such a simple idea made such a difference.

Claire said: “We decided to go for 35 days up until the 31st of March. At the beginning we were walking 30 minutes, by the end we were going over an hour.

“I am so proud of him because he has complex learning difficulties. For him to be able to go out every day is amazing and even now, with the challenge finished, he is still asking to go for a walk.

“He loved doing it. One or two days he had a few wobbles but we managed to walk it off.

“I am so pleased it worked out the way it did. Portfield School has been beyond so we wanted to do something for them. I just want to thank everybody for their support. It has been amazing.”

Cllr Tim Evans, representative of the Portfield Ward at Pembrokeshire County Council, who also sits on the governing body of Portfield School, said: “Like all schools these days fundraising is extremely light. The rest of the governing body and I are very proud of Jack in raising funds for our school by taking part in a daily walk.”