Why We Created The 457 Challenge

24th August 2026

This October, people across the UK will be taking on The ABF 457 Challenge.

The idea is simple. Turn up. Put in the work. Raise some money. Support the Army family.

The challenge was created to mark 25 years since the start of the Afghanistan conflict and to remember the 457 British service personnel who lost their lives.

The idea came from Tilly Lambert-Lee, the Army Benevolent Fund's Regional Director South West, whose family and friends served in Afghanistan, many completing multiple tours. Like many people connected to the Army, every Remembrance Day, she lays three crosses. Increasingly, those crosses are more for friends lost after the conflict as during it.

The reality is that the effects of service don't always end when an operational tour does. For some people, the toughest battles come later. That's why this challenge isn't just about remembering the past. It's about helping ensure support is there today and tomorrow for soldiers, veterans and Army families who need it.

The aim was never to create an event that required months of training, specialist kit or a huge personal commitment. We wanted something straightforward. Something people could do in their local gym, with colleagues, friends, family or their unit. Something that gets people involved and, most importantly, raise money.

As Tilly explains:

"I've never been under any illusion that I'm going to change the world, but if I can make my little corner of it a better place to be, then that's enough.

The Army family is my little corner of the world. It's where my friends are, where my family are, and where thousands of others are.

The 457 Challenge is one small way of helping. Every registration, every donation and every pound raised helps the Army Benevolent Fund continue its work, whether that's through direct support to individuals or through grants to charities providing help on the ground where it's needed most.

It's not complicated. Turn up, do a bit of phys, raise some money and hopefully leave things slightly better than you found them."

By taking part in The 457 Challenge, you'll be helping to ensure that support remains available across the Army charity sector, wherever and whenever it's needed.

Just turn up. Get stuck in. We'll handle the rest.