40 MILES: 1 MONTH: 10 CODES

01 -31 January 2025

Calling all Secret Agents... Operation Bletchley: Berlin is your codebreaking challenge supporting the Army Benevolent Fund. Your mission is to cover 40* miles on foot through Soviet territory, decrypt vital intelligence about the blockade, cracking codes as you go and help bring our stranded contacts back to HQ. Do you have what it takes to accomplish your mission and deliver the final message before time runs out?

Your mission begins on 1 January and you must complete, and deliver the final message by midnight on 31 January 2025. 

With three levels of codes to choose from; junior, codebreaker and cypher expert, get the whole family together this New Year - you have 31 days and one chance to break the Soviet blockade. Sign up now. 

*If 40 miles is too little/much, you will also have the option to adjust your challenge to suit your ability. This can be done during registration or in the 'My Fitness Activity' tab on your event page once you have signed up.

How it works

Operation Bletchley: Berlin is a codebreaking event that you can take part in anywhere in the world. Here’s how it works...

1. Sign up for just £15* and link your phone or fitness tracker to your fundraising page (you can also record your miles manually if you prefer)
2. Start walking at your own pace (from 1 January 2025)
3. Receive updates and codes to crack at milestone intervals - three levels are available - Junior, Codebreaker or Cypher Expert
4. Codes will be delivered straight to your inbox and you can select your level then
5. Solve the codes to decipher the hidden message
6. Complete the journey and deliver the message by the midnight on 31 January 2025.

*Also available is a £40 registration where you can opt out of fundraising.

Your mission

It’s January 1949. Since the fall of the Nazi regime, Germany has been carved up into four zones. In the West, there are three zones occupied by British, French and American troops. To the East, there are the Soviets. And there lies the problem. Deep inside the Soviet zone, hundreds of miles from the Western boundary, is the capital of Berlin. And like the rest of the country, Berlin, too, is divided into four zones.

Cooperation between East and West has deteriorated, and on 18 June 1948, Stalin’s communist regime closed road, rail and water supplies to West Berlin – leaving two million Germans cut off from vital resources. The city was already suffering from food shortages, crime and violence. But with the recent blockade stopping road and rail support from Western allies, the prospect of a peaceful Christmas seems bleak at best.

And yet, there is still hope. Operation Plainfare is well underway, with British and American troops flying supplies down a 100-mile air corridor to Tempelhof and Gatow. And now, with the Soviets dead-set on kicking Western allies out of Berlin, we need your help to beat the blockade before it’s too late. 

How? We need you to go beyond the blockade and discover the truth of what’s happening in the East. We’ve arranged for you to make contact with key officials, but you’ll need to move on foot and crack codes along the way to avoid being captured. It’s a frosty journey that’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. Are you up to the challenge?

Register Now

Gift a place in Operation Bletchley

You can also buy a place in Operation Bletchley: Berlin to gift to someone else. The perfect stocking filler, or great for that one person who is impossible to buy for. 

It's simple:   

• At registration, you can select to purchase tickets plus gift voucher(s), or just gift vouchers
• Enter your details (you won't be registered)
• After completing the flow, you land on a page showing the gift voucher code and number of uses. On this page there is also a QR code which directs you to register and redeem your place. This page can also be printed/downloaded.
• In the dashboard, there is a section called 'My Gifts' where you can also access this page and download/print it, if you have purchased a gift voucher.
• For a recipient to redeem their place, tell them to simply complete a standard registration and in the promo code section of the payment step, enter in the gift voucher code.

Happy Christmas and happy code breaking! 

The difference your generosity can make

Operation Bletchley was created to raise money to support soldiers, veterans and their families, through the Army Benevolent Fund. We hope you'll use your place to raise as much as possible:

£50 - could help cover travel costs so a veteran can attend a job interview.

£75 - could go towards the cost of a temporary wheelchair ramp, allowing an injured soldier to enter and leave their home.

£250 - could contribute towards the care home fees of a frail elderly veteran who requires continuous care.

£1,000 - could help pay for home adaptations so that a veteran’s young disabled child can live in a safe and accessible environment.

The Army Benevolent Fund is the Army's National Charity, here for soldiers, past and present, and their families for life.

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