LOOK out for an Andover businessman, and a barrel nicknamed ‘Big Baz’, as he is set to train for the equivalent of 11 marathons around the town for a veteran’s mental health charity.

Andreas Beirne, who is also an ex-serviceman, and his 13kg barrel will be taking on the seven-day challenge, The Big Barrel Run, to raise £20,000 for Combat Stress in memory of those who died during Operation Herrick in Afghanistan.

Andreas will be training around Andover, but will kickstart his 456km stint with Big Baz on his back at the London Marathon on April 28, before continuing an average 65km a day on a route which will see him stop at all his bootcamp destinations including in Charlton.

The figure 456 hits home as it represents the number of service personnel who lost their lives in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2014.

Andreas himself was deployed to the conflict zone in 2009 at the age of 19.

Andreas said: “I am under no illusion of the enormity of the challenge that I have set myself both in terms of completing 456km and reaching my target of raising £20,000.

“Over the next few months ‘Big Baz’ and I will be regular fixtures around Andover and I would love people and businesses across Andover to get behind me and beep or wave if they see me out training.

“Also if people are able to donate to support the work of this brilliant charity it would mean so much to me as I have seen first-hand the impact the war has had on my friends who struggle every day to leave their experiences of it behind.”

Combat Street offers free support for mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety, and finds approximately one in 25 veterans suffer from PTSD.

The cause is close to Andreas’ heart as a former physical training instructor in the Royal Logistics Corp, and he was attached to the Queen’s Gurkha Logistics for more than seven years.

He also toured Afghanistan and the Falkland Islands, and now runs fitness bootcamps across Andover.

Andreas will be ending his mammoth task at Twickenham Stadium in London, for the Army vs Navy rugby match.

To find out more or donate go to justgiving.com/fundraising/thebigbarrelrun.

Any businesses interested in sponsoring should email andreasbeirne@hotmail.co.uk.