Story
William's Severn Way Trek
My 8-year-old autistic son, William, and I are undertaking an ambitious challenge! This will be to trek the 215-mile length of the Severn Way together over four stages. The Severn Way is a route that follows the course of the River Severn, from its source in Welsh mountains, to its mouth in the Bristol Channel. We will be completing our challenge to raise funds to provide free tutoring for neurodivergent students who struggle to attend school, which is a cause that is close to our hearts. Please read on to learn about our story and why we’re committing to this challenge.
A few years ago I left my career as an Earth scientist to provide care for William, who was struggling at school. Since this time we have found more balance, and I have forged a new career running The Autism Adventure hub, which supports the education of neurodivergent students who have difficulties learning at school. For this work I use my previous teaching/lecturing experience to provide inclusive online tutoring and support.
However, our journey to get here hasn’t been smooth. Trials have included my wife’s (William’s mum’s) cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as William’s struggle with epilepsy. During these times William and I have embraced the outdoors through buggy running and explorative walks, helping us both to stay healthy through the challenges our family has faced.
These activities led us to complete our first sponsored challenge in June 2024: William’s Buggy Marathon. Through this I have been able to provide over 70 free tutoring sessions for seven individual students. However, the uptake of this tutoring has meant we have now used most of our funding, so are hoping to secure a further £3000 through our bigger Severn Way Challenge!
Raising these funds will provide important opportunities for the neurodivergent students I work with. Many of these students are unable to attend school, making this tutoring vital for their education. The parents/carers of these students are also often unable to work due to care commitments. My ambition and passion is therefore to make education as affordable as possible for these families, with free tutoring being a key part of this.
Our Severn way excursion is designed with William in mind. William loves being in nature, and particularly enjoys interacting with water, so our journey alongside the river will be fascinating for him. We will begin with hiking over uneven ground, providing lots of exploration opportunities. Later parts our trek will involve buggy running alongside the river’s meandering mid- and lower course, which we know William enjoys too! The four stages of our challenge will also be spread throughout the year, helping William to retain interest and enthusiasm for our mission.
Each of our four stages will involve several days of consecutive travel along the Severn Way. These are currently planned to consist of the following (note that small changes to this schedule may occur):
1. Welsh Hills – 65.5 miles (Summer 2025) - Completed!
2. Shropshire Meanders – 36 miles (Autumn 2025)
3. Deep Woods and Valleys – 41 miles (Winter 2025/6)
4. Rolling to the Sea – 81 miles (Easter 2026)
We will provide regular updates on our planning and progress via the Facebook page, “William’s Severn Way Trek”. Please get in touch via this page if you would like to learn more or join us for part of our adventure.
Any sponsorship is greatly appreciated, and all received funds will be used directly for our tutoring service (£30 pays for one online tutoring session, including my time, resources and administrative costs). We sincerely hope you can support or even run/walk along with us on our newest adventure!
Paul Anderson
William’s Dad
Tutor and Director of The Autism Adventure education hub
