AN ASPIRING barrister from Dorchester says she will 'earn her turkey this Christmas' as she takes on an epic walking challenge to show her support for the armed services.

Laura Deuxberry, whose parents were both in the Navy, is walking around 75 miles from Winchester to her home town of Dorchester as she raises funds for Walking With the Wounded, a charity which supports homeless veterans.

The 24-year-old law graduate, who is currently working as a paralegal in London, says she was inspired to do her own challenge after following the Walking With the Wounded 1,000-mile walk of Britain earlier this year.

Laura even joined the wounded veterans as they walked the final mile down The Mall in the capital and was touched by their courage, particularly one of the team who was around the same age as her and had delayed the amputation of her leg in order to take part in the challenge.

She said: "I just felt really inspired by their efforts and I spoke to one of the ladies from the charity and found out more about their Christmas campaign so I signed up the next day."

Laura will be setting off on December 19 and will hope to make it home by December 23 or Christmas Eve.

She said: "I want to raise awareness for a cause that I feel passionately about. My Great-Grandfather fought and died in WW1 and my parents both served in the Royal Navy/Wrens.

"Therefore, I want to help those who have risked their lives for us who have now been left to fend for themselves."

Laura is aiming to raise £1,961 as it would cover the cost of putting a veteran through the charity's First Steps employment programme.

Walking With the Wounded helps homeless and injured veterans and also aims to raise awareness of mental illnesses such as post traumatic stress disorder.

The charity's website says: "WWTW supports all veterans with physical, mental or social injuries to gain the skills and qualifications necessary to develop new careers outside the military, re-integrate into society and provide long-term security for themselves and their families"

To sponsor Laura for her efforts visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LauraDeuxberry