A RADCLIFFE Pastor has raised more than £1000 for a Ugandan village after walking the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

John McCann, aged 63, pastor at New Life Church in Radcliffe, walked the 127 miles from Liverpool to Leeds over eight days accompanied along parts of the route by friends and family, raising £1,450 as part of an effort by charity Passion for Jesus to build a maternity facility in the Ugandan village Buwasunguyi.

The charity has so fair raised £7000 if its £10,000 target, through a number of events, including Mr McCanns walk.

Mr McCann said he was very proud of his achievement and the funds raised adding: "It was definitely a gruelling experience, but I knew what I was doing it for, and people had invested in me so I wanted to finish."

Currently women from Buwasunguyi are forced to walk the next village in order to receive treatment, which is costing the lives of mothers and babies.

Passion for Jesus visit and support communities in developing countries around the world including Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Albania, investing in a range of projects from supporting children's homes to helping to grow micro-businesses.

They have already built a school and a church in Buwasunguyi, and opened a health centre in 2008, which has saved hundreds of lives.

Mr McCann said: "I had no idea how far it was when I agree to do it.

"There was some great scenery and I walker near to where I was born in Liverpool, which was great just to remember."

However, Mr McCanns expedition was not his first foray into canal walking as he previously walked the Llangollen Canal to fundraise for developments to New Life Church.

To donate to Mr McCann and Passion for Jesus' campaign visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ltolcanal