Cheshire Wildlife Trust proudly announce that new ambassador, Rhiane Fatinikun, founder of Black Girls Hike, and television presenter Steve Brown will champion Big Wild Walk this October.
Rhiane is an award-winning outdoors advocate and community organiser. She founded Black Girls Hike (BGH UK) in 2019 to challenge the stereotypes and lack of representation in the outdoors.
This year, nature-lovers are encouraged to create their own adventure, offering more flexibility for getting involved. You could hike for hedgehogs, swim for swifts, bike for beavers, wheel for water voles or run for red squirrels – the choice is yours! Funds raised will help wildlife recover and contribute towards The Wildlife Trusts’ goal of protecting 30% of UK’s land and sea for nature by 2030.
This autumn, The Wildlife Trusts also team up with multi–Academy Award®-winning animation studio, Aardman Animations, to co-create Timmy Time materials to encourage families with young children to take part. The specially created Hedgehog Walk is designed for pre-school and Key Stage 1 pupils, who can choose their own Timmy Time themed character fundraising pack, including Apricot the hedgehog and Stripey the badger, to complete the challenge with. The challenge is to walk 3km in a week, the same distance a hedgehog travels each night.
The Big Wild Walk takes place during half term from Monday 16th to Monday 30th October 2023. Sign up is open now at cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/big-wild-walk
Rhiane Fatinikun, founder of Black Girls Hike and ambassador for The Wildlife Trusts, says:
“Spending time hiking in nature is incredibly special and I love sharing my experiences of the outdoors with others. I’m absolutely delighted to become an ambassador for The Wildlife Trusts as the Big Wild Walk gets underway. I started my journey into the great outdoors with no hiking experience so I’m keen to encourage everyone, no matter their ability or background, to take that first step. Signing up to the Big Wild Walk is a fantastic way to support nature and wild places whilst doing something you love. I hope lots of you join us this October to champion nature by having a wild adventure no matter how big or small.”
Steve Brown, television presenter and athlete mentor, says:
“All my life, I’ve found the greatest pleasure in exploring the countryside and championing our wild places. I believe nothing should hold you back from enjoying the great outdoors and it’s so exciting that The Wildlife Trusts’ Big Wild Walk this year invites participants to take up the challenge in whatever way that works for them. Whether you choose to walk, run, cycle, wheel, or swim, I’d encourage everyone to sign up and invite their family and friends to join in the fun too.”
Jo Darlington, Director of Fundraising and Engagement, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, says:
“Autumn is such a beautiful time of year to get outside and explore. We’re very lucky here in Cheshire with so many wonderful places to take on a challenge. Whether it’s cycling along the Dee Estuary, hiking in Cheshire’s Peak District or running through Delamere Forest. Spending time outdoors is hugely beneficial to our health and wellbeing, so taking part isn’t just good for nature, it’s good for you too! You can be sure that every penny raised through your Big Wild Walk will go towards helping protect wildlife and wild spaces on your doorstep”.