Intrepid fundraisers put their foot down against domestic violence in a charity walk over broken glass.

Lord Mayor of Norwich Keith Driver led the 15-strong group of daredevils over the bed of shards and spikes at the Forum in aid of Leeway, his civic charity for the year.

The brave band underwent a motivational session in which they karate-chopped wooden boards to mentally prepare themselves for the ordeal before emerging to perform in front of a crowd of spectators.

And after completing his first tentative walk across the glass, Mr Driver confessed to having had doubts.

'I just didn't want blood coming out of my foot,' he said. 'But once you put your foot in the glass and level it off, it's good fun. I wasn't nervous because it's for such a good cause, and we wouldn't be allowed to do it if it was dangerous.'

Mr Driver said he and his fellow fundraisers – who are expected to have raised more than £2,000 with their efforts – had learned to 'put mind over matter. We've all got fears and you have to overcome them,' he said. 'When I first heard of this I agreed to do it, and then it gradually creeps up on you. But we've all done it: men and women and even a 10-year-old girl.'

The youngest of the glass-walkers was Alice Austin, who even went back for a second helping.

She raised £300 for Leeway and was watched by her sister, parents and a group of her classmates from Blofield Primary School.

She said: 'I was a bit nervous. I got to the start and thought 'Am I really going to do this?' but when I started it was really fun.'

Motivational speaker Steve Stuttard helped get the glasswalkers in the zone, teaching them to smash boards and break wooden arrows against their windpipes.

He said anyone could learn to walk on broken glass.

'It's about preparing people to break down barriers,' he said.

'We all have fear factors and comfort zones, so we work through them and put pressure on the walkers and make them believe they can do it: the broken glass becomes a shingle beach.'

Emily Nudd, of Leeway, said the charity had already benefited hugely from being the Lord Mayor's civic charity. 'Events like the glass walk are great because lots of people see it and it's something that's a bit different,' she said.

The money raised will go towards supporting Leeway's new outreach workers, and continuing the charity's work in helping more than 8,000 people of all ages in Norfolk who suffer from the effects of domestic abuse every year.

The Lord Mayor's Bingo Night is held at the Trafford Arms, Grove Road, from 7pm on Thursday. Tickets are £10 for eight games. Find out more at www.leewaysupport.org