New survey shows what activities Britons do over Christmas – and watching TV is the winner. 84% of us watch TV over Christmas, followed just behind by eating dinner with family at 82%.

The research from Walking With The Wounded shows that these are the top activities that Britons typically do over Christmas.

Watch TV – 84%
Eat dinner with family – 82%
See friends – 65%
Go for a walk – 63%
Play board games – 47%
Go to a party – 32%
Watch a pantomime/Christmas play – 27%
Donate to charity – 23%
Sing carols – 18%
Go to church – 15%
Volunteer – 7%

2 in 5 (39%) of Londoners go to a party, and 57% of those in the South West play board games. 50% of 25-34 year olds go to parties, and 23% of 65+ sing carols.

This winter, thousands of people will be Walking Home For Christmas in support of armed forces veterans across the country. The campaign, which runs from 9 to 20 December, is Walking With The Wounded’s annual nationwide fundraising walking challenge to support its work across mental health, employment, volunteering and care coordination.

Whether it’s a short walk a day, a commitment to walk 26 miles over the 12 days, or joining one of the organised walks in London, Newcastle and Manchester on 9 December, there are so many ways to take part. Some choose to walk alone, others get together with friends and family – all do it to raise money for veterans.

And some do outstanding feats of mental and physical endurance. Andy Schofield, a former military police officer, will be walking 350 kilometres from the Cenotaph in London to Manchester Cenotaph. He aims to complete this extraordinary challenge in just five days, leaving London on 5 December and arriving in Manchester on 9 December.
Andy says: “I didn’t want to just pay lip service to mental health. I wanted to do something that demonstrates just how important I think it is. Leaving the forces and adjusting to civilian can be hard, and many former military personnel struggle with mental health and readjustment. We need to support those who are finding it tough, and I’m pleased to be doing my bit to raise funds and awareness to do so.”

Sally Orange is an endurance athlete, inspirational speaker & award winning mental health campaigner. She is the only person on the planet to complete a marathon on every continent in fancy dress (as different pieces of fruit!), which gives you a flavour of her colourful personality. She holds multiple Guinness world records and world firsts, has run over 70 marathons, completed 8 full Ironman triathlons and has completed 22 years’ exemplary service in the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Physiotherapy Officer, including an operational tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Sally captained the first British female team to complete the relentless Race Across America, the worlds toughest cycle race and has also ran the toughest footrace on earth, the Marathon des Sables. Add cycling the length of New Zealand, swimming and rowing the English Channel, climbing several 6000m+ mountains in Nepal and Bolivia, running the length of Iceland dressed as a pod of peas and skiing 250km across the largest plateau in the Arctic circle to name but a few and you will gain an understanding of her zest for life!
Having faced her own challenges with severe depression and chronic anxiety, Sally speaks openly in an attempt to remove the associated stigma. She encourages others to manage their own mental well being through healthy eating, physical activity and a positive mindset.
She says: “Getting outside and moving has had a profound effect on my mental health over the years and exercise, sport, and adventurous challenge have been my absolute saviour and one of the reasons I am still here today. Purely stepping outside your front door and getting fresh air wakes up all our senses and makes our brain feel alive. Be it feeling the wind on our faces, tasting the salty sea air or smelling freshly cut grass, when we look at the views ahead of us, it challenges our brain in different ways to sitting in front of a screen.
“The beauty of Walking Home For Christmas is that it can be tailored to suit different individual’s needs and abilities and is so much more than one individual’s effort. It’s more about being a part of a collective community, all driving towards a common goal to support other less fortunate in times of need. So embrace the opportunity, enjoy the journey and ‘juice do it!’”
Adventurous ambassador Levison Wood is a world-renowned explorer, writer & photographer and spent a number of years as a Regular Officer in the British Parachute Regiment, where he served in Afghanistan fighting against Taliban insurgents in Helmand and Kandahar. His military services has seen him deploy on operations and exercises on five continents.
He says to anyone considering the challenge: “Just do it! It doesn’t need to be a huge journey. Even going on a short walk can be hugely beneficial to your mental wellbeing. Remember to look around you while you’re walking, take notice of the small things and try to be present in the moment. You might find that you see place that you normally zip past in a car in a whole new way. Whatever your walking challenge is, I promise you that you will feel great for it.”

An estimated 5 million veterans live in the UK. While most of the 15,000+ personnel who leave the forces each year have a successful transition to civilian life, a small but significant minority do not. Walking With The Wounded supports those who served, and their families, to thrive.