A 70-YEAR-OLD Big Issue seller is raising cash for homeless people by taking part in a 12-mile night walk.

Lionel Hegarty, who lives in Summertown, is fundraising for the Big Issue Foundation by participating in the Big London Night Walk on Friday.

The pensioner, who was born in Oxford, wants to help Big Issue vendors after facing similar problems himself.

He faced hard times when he fell out with some of his close family members and his life spiralled out of control.

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Mr Hegarty has been supported by the charity for nearly eight years. He said the cause was close to his heart and had helped him turn his life around.

The 70-year-old said: “I’m looking forward to doing it. I’m hoping to raise some money for the Big Issue Foundation, which has helped me a lot.

“I have been selling The Big Issue for nearly eight years and was homeless myself for a while.

“I have just came out of rehab eight weeks’ ago because I had a drinking problem, but I have not had a drink for more than a month now and everything is going well.”

Now Mr Hegarty lives in sheltered accommodation for people his age and wants to give something back to the charity.

He added that even though he was no longer homeless he still wanted to sell The Big Issue to keep himself occupied.

Despite his age, Mr Hegarty said he feels fit and cannot wait to take part in the walk.

He added: “I’m feeling very fit for my age and have been doing some training by walking every day from where I live in Summertown and I have been playing football.

“I walk most places, I love walking.

I like meeting new people and the walk I’m doing next week is a great night out.”

Nearly 1,500 walkers a year take part in the foundation’s flagship event and have raised £340,000 in the five years it has existed.

The magazine, which was founded in 1991, costs £2.50, and each seller receives 50 per cent of the cover price.