A GROUP of walkers put their best feet forward and braved the bitter autumn chill for a 10-mile charity walk around Swindon on Saturday to raise awareness of a rare genetic skin condition.

Debra, which has a charity shop in Victoria Road, supports thousands of people across the UK who suffer with Epidermolysis Bullosa - a genetic skin condition that causes the skin to blister and tear at the very lightest touch.

The simplest of tasks can be near impossible and in rare cases, the condition, more commonly known as EB, can be fatal.

Staff at the Old Town shop decided to hold the charity walk on Saturday to not only raise awareness of Debra's life-saving research to find a cure but to also raise money to help fund it.

Sarah Wilkinson, store manager, said: “We wanted to do something to raise awareness of the charity and raise money as well. I walk quite a lot myself and I thought it would be a good thing to do to show people what we are about.

“I have worked with the charity for two and a half years and over that time we’ve had some lovely supporters in a great community around here and so for us it is trying to raise awareness of the charity.

“A lot of people who have sponsored us have said they have never heard of Debra before and so they’ve helped spread the word to others as well."

Proudly sporting their purple t-shirts, with the #FightEB social media campaign hashtag on the back, the 20-strong team made their way from their Victoria Road shop along Bath Road, down Kingshill towards the Outlet before heading to Ferndale Road, Gypsy Lane, Greenbridge, Marlowe Avenue, Shaftesbury Avenue and finally along Marlborough Road back into Old Town.

Rachel Lydon, from the shop, said she hoped their walk caught the attention of people. She added: “We thought the walk would hopefully get the recognition around the town because even though the charity is well-supported, Epidermolysis Bullosa isn’t well known.

“The condition makes life so difficult and the biggest part of the money raised for Debra goes towards research."

Among those taking part was 27-year-old Heather who suffers from EB and has been supported by Debra from a young age.

Her mum Wendy Skerry said the charity's support has been vital for their family.

“Debra has been going 40 years next year and when it started, there were only two people working in an office," she explained. "Debra's founder Phyllis Hilton set it up as her daughter suffered with EB and she wanted to find people with the same condition. Now we have researchers and nurses and around 130 community shops all trying to raise money and awareness for the charity.

“The first nurse who came down to the Princess Margaret Hospital after I had Heather brought some leaflets about EB and I was a member of Debra from when she was very young."