The 10 Peaks Charity Challenge has been organised to raise money for The Wilderness Foundation. I personally chose this charity as I hugely admire how their work not only benefits vulnerable people through connecting with nature, but benefits nature through the efforts of those vulnerable people. It represents the mutually beneficial relationship humanity can have with nature, the relationship I think we can all tap into on a personal level, community level and a global level.

The Wilderness Foundation mission is to preserve wild places and change lives through outreach programmes that educate, inspire and reconnect people facing a number of challenges in their lives. They create opportunities for those wishing to learn more about their relationship with the natural world and what they can do to protect it. Some of their projects include:

• The Blossom Project, taking domestic violence survivors through outdoor therapy and trauma support, integrating bushcraft techniques, outdoor cooking and tree planting to connect them with nature.

• Down To Earth allotments, where volunteers from backgrounds of addiction, learning disability and chronic illness are immersed in an allotment community and taught how to grow their own food sustainably.

• Brave Futures, a nature based group therapy programme for those who have experienced grief, trauma, social isolation, anxiety and depression. Activities include walking, foraging and nature art.

• TurnAround, an intensive 6 month mentorship programme for vulnerable young people. Through the power of nature and intensive specialist care they help individuals build confidence, resilience, teamwork and empowerment.

The content of the Wilderness Foundation’s programmes aim to equip and enable people to acquire skills from within themselves to navigate their futures safely and successfully. They currently engage over 6,000 people per year with the benefits and enjoyment of wild nature, but need our help to be able to offer more. 

The challenge we are undertaking aligns so well with the values of The Wilderness Foundation. We are bringing people together in nature to develop our physical fitness, benefit our mental health, foster a sense of community, support a positive cause and tread gently as we go. 

Find out more about their work here. I truly believe we can raise enough money to change many people's lives as well as preserve our planet through this challenge. Let’s support this incredible charity together!