THREE friends have launched a project in a bid to raise money for homeless veterans.

Wayne Hester, 46, Graham Hunter, 45, and John Ingram, 43, served together in the army and later set up Activate, which runs guided mountain walks to raise money for charity.

The trio, who served in the Queens Lancashire Regiment, have now launched the Touch a Trig project with ambitions to set up a home for veterans who are living on the streets.

Touch a Trig calls on people to walk or run to the top of a hill or mountain and take a picture of them touching the trig point, share it on social media, donate £5 and nominate three others to do the same.

Mr Hunter, an ink technician from Burnley, said a lot of people on the street are ex-forces.

He said: "It's a massive figure. A lot of people who served fall on hard times and there's little help or support. They end up sleeping rough and making their own way.

"They gave an oath of allegiance and risked their lives and there's nothing there for them. It's absolutely shocking. It is a travesty.

"We set up Activate which started it as a wellbeing company to help with post traumatic stress disorder and mental health issues.

"It has moved forward and we are now running courses for the public as well as veterans."

He said most hills have a trig point, including Pendle Hill, Darwen Tower and Peel Tower, which are used for ordnance survey maps.

"We were with a group of walkers and one said 'we've made it to the top, what an achievement' so that's where the idea came from.

"We are trying to raise £250,000 to buy an old office or mill and convert it into apartments for veterans.

"We're hoping to raise awareness and get more and more people involved.

"We were inspired by a programme with Nick Knowles who transformed a house in Manchester into apartments. They got 30 homeless veterans off the street.

"There are so many buildings across East Lancashire that we could use."

Mr Hunter said the project would also help improve fitness, get people outdoors as well as make them consider what homeless people have to endure while living outdoors.

To take part visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/activate.