Imagine growing up without nature? Not going to the beach, or the woods, or even a park or garden? Whether as a child or an adult, think of all the joy that would be missed, the inspiration, the learning ... not to mention the health benefits, if nature was out of reach.

I have been lucky to live my life immersed in nature from an early age. Many people aren't so fortunate. If you don’t experience nature, how can you value it?

Cornwall Wildlife Trust has a vision of a Cornwall where nature thrives, with our wildlife and wild places valued and enjoyed by all. In support of this we are striving to engage, inspire and enable over 100,000 people to experience and take action for nature.

And crucially, doing that without leaving anyone behind. The team have been working to understand and overcome the barriers many people face in accessing and experiencing nature. I believe that we can make a real and lasting difference for people and for nature by tackling these barriers head on.

In a place like Cornwall, where millions of visitors each year come to enjoy our open air and wild places, including our magnificent coastline, it can't be right that many people living here are excluded from that.

So, I've decided to challenge myself to help my team at Cornwall Wildlife Trust to reach more people who otherwise would struggle to access, benefit from and take action for nature.

Over the course of this year, I will be walking the iconic Cornish coast path in its entirety. That’s 300 miles in total. My aim is to complete my 'Walk on the Wild Side' by the end of September this year.

I'll be posting updates as I go, and there will be opportunities to join me along the way. Everything I raise will go towards Cornwall Wildlife Trust's work to enable more people to access, experience, benefit from and take action for nature.

Thank you for your generous support!