Helen Zammitt-Willson is taking on the challenge of walking nearly 100 miles from the Mediterranean to the Sea of Galilee in support of the Apostleship of the Sea, a charity providing practical and pastoral care to seafarers visiting the UK.

Helen will arrive in Tel Aviv in Israel and then travel through Wadi Haziv, Mount Meiron, Nazareth and Capernaum, with staggering views across the Sea of Galilee at the end. Walking between eight and 10 miles at a time, the trek will take a week to complete.

"Its a few years since I've done anything as ambitious as this," she said.

"My last major trek was as part of my gold award for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Since then I have been raising my children and running a home so this is a personal challenge as well as a fundraising one.

"Devoting a week of my life to raise funds for the welfare of seafarers seems a small effort compared to the hardship some of them suffer at sea.

"They very often leave their families and loved ones for up to 11 months at a time, working seven days a week, suffering fatigue, stress and loneliness. The world of shipping has changed dramatically over the past few years, and ships only spend the minimum amount of time in port to discharge and reload.

"This leaves no time at all for seafarers to go into town to telephone their families and find out news from home. Most people don't realise that they don't have access to communications when they are at sea – the cost of satellite phone calls is prohibitive and mobile phones don't work when one is in the middle of the ocean.

"Apostleship of the Sea provides transport to seafarers' centres where telephone calls are affordable and internet facilities are available.

"It also allows seafarers the opportunity to relax in a safe environment and provides welfare support if they are experiencing difficulties with life onboard. Where more personal care is required, as when seafarers are hospitalised, abandoned or detained by police while in port, AOS pastoral workers offer practical assistance, companionship and help in contacting their families."

Sheila Bailey, director of fundraising at Apostleship of the Sea, said: "We are all so grateful to Helen and her fellow trekkers for undertaking this challenge.

"Each year 150,000 seafarers visit our UK ports. We try to visit each ship as it enters port and offer a front line service to seafarers, meeting their needs.