A MAN who passed through Dorset as part of a challenge to walk 1,000 miles from one end of the country to the other while hitting a golf ball and also stopping to teach lifesaving skills, is calling on local communities and businesses for help.

David Sullivan, 58, stopped off at various locations in Dorset to train local people how to perform life-saving CPR, before continuing his mammoth charity challenge, The World’s Longest Golf Hole. The journey began at John O’Groats earlier in the summer and finished at Land’s End this month.

Mr Sullivan, a former armed forces skiing and mountain craft trainer from Surrey, walked 1,000 miles and made an estimated 250,000 golf shots, to raise money for the British Heart Foundation and to raise awareness of the importance of learning how to perform CPR.

When going through Dorset Mr Sullivan stopped in Bournemouth, Dorchester and Charmouth.

By doing the challenge, David hopes to raise £60,000 to help place life-saving defibrillators in a number of locations throughout the UK and is asking for the Dorset community’s help to ensure Dorset is kitted out with this life-saving piece of equipment.

Mr Sullivan said: “I’m calling out to local businesses and individuals in Dorset to be as generous as they can - this generosity could easily save a life in their community one day - possibly even the life of someone they know and love. That’s an incredible legacy for every person and company who donates.”

Mr Sullivan’s passion for teaching people CPR came about when he was faced with a life-or-death situation. When a young man experienced a cardiac arrest in front of him, Mr Sullivan luckily knew what to do and gave the man CPR for 17 minutes until he could treat him with a defibrillator.

Mr Sullivan said: “It was thanks to my training, and a defibrillator being nearby, that I was able to help save the man, who luckily made a full recovery. When something like that happens right in front of you, it makes you realise how precious life is and how important it is to know what to do in that kind of emergency. It was an experience which profoundly affected me, and now it’s my mission to create an army of life savers all over the country.”

American Golf is sponsoring Mr Sullivan’s fundraising challenge.

Gary Favell, CEO of American Golf said: “David has found a way to harness his golfing prowess not only to highlight the importance of knowing CPR through his own personal experience, but to train people along his journey whilst raising funds for the British Heart Foundation – he is a true inspiration.”

Donations can be made by visiting www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/david-sullivan-77