THE first Forest Activities Festival raised £1,000 for a charity which provides support to military personnel when they return to "Civvy Street".

A cheque was presented to former Welsh rugby international Ian Gough who is patron of the Hire a Hero charity.

The presentation took place at the Speech House Hotel near Coleford where the festival, which showcased the wide range of things to do in the Forest, was held in April.

The festival at The Speech House Hotel, Coleford saw the 64-cap Wales international try a number of pursuits available in the Forest of Dean, from Morris country dancing to kickboxing.

Mr Gough – whose mum grew up in the Wye Valley and attended Redbrook School –thanked the Forest Activities Committee for the donation.

He said: "The weather was awful but it was a brilliant day. There were thousands of people taking part and it was great fun.

"It's great for the charity and getting more profile and people can see the value in it and that's the big, big thing I find.

"We are getting it out there, telling people what we are doing and its helping people that are helping us and these guys and girls.

"They are so brave, I take my hat off to them – it's the least we can do to help them in their transition."

You can see what Ian Gough got up to as part of the Forest Activities by visiting Hire a Hero's YouTube channel.