A VICTIM of child abuse told how a mammoth trek which saw him journey to his birthplace helped him come to terms with his past.

Artist and art teacher Stephen Yates, 71, and his Labrador collie Jack, walked 270 miles from his home on Portland to his birthplace in Yorkshire. 

Dorset Echo:

In doing so he raised more than £3,000 for children's charity the NSPCC.

He has previously supported the cause by running the London Marathon and trekking the Great Wall of China.

In addition to raising the sum of £3,245, the hike - which was done in memory of his mother who died earlier this year aged 95 - also helped Stephen heal from past trauma.

As a victim of child abuse himself, he has always felt a strong affinity for the charity and has described the walk as a “cathartic” experience as he returned to the childhood home where the abuse occurred.

He said: “The walk was for me about going home, about going back to that place. I had a sense that this would help me process what had happened to me. What I found was that I didn’t quite fit there anymore.

“The thing I will remember most is the people I met along the way, they were total strangers to me, but they showed such kindness. It was a wonderful experience, to take that time to look around your surroundings and take things in – you don’t get that time very often. I was also able to return to the places I spent time in as a child.

“It has totally changed, and it was not the place I remember as a child. My memories are strong and quite powerful, and it was good to revisit that. It was worth it, and it made me very humble about meeting so many strangers who were so kind.”

Along the journey, Stephen also visited the home where his mother had grown up, meeting up with his brother – who provided support along the walk.

Stephen is also hosting an art exhibition of ceramics and paintings inspired by his trek, entitled The Journey, at Shaftesbury Arts Centre which is running this week until Saturday, December 2.

He said: “I am absolutely over the moon, I was shocked to raise so much. I was aiming to raise £1,500 so to more than double that is fantastic and hope will help fund vital services for children.”

More information about the exhibition can be found on the Shaftesbury Arts Centre website.