Girlguiding ambassador Anna McNuff announces Barefoot Britain challenge

18 March 2019

Girlguiding ambassador and global adventurer Anna McNuff has announced her latest big challenge - Barefoot Britain.

Anna is running the distance of 100 marathons (2,620 miles) barefoot. The Barefoot Britain challenge begins in the Shetland Islands on Sunday 2 June and ends in London on Sunday 10 November.

Over the course of five months, Anna will run along rugged coastlines, through small villages, across moors, over windswept mountains, along beaches, over farmland - and even down the odd picturesque A-road.

Anna will also be passing through some of the country’s biggest cities and is encouraging the runners (or wannabe runners) of Britain to throw on their trainers and join her for a mile or two.

Anna said:

The aim of Barefoot Britain is to show girls and young women that they can do anything they set their mind to. Girls are strong and resilient, and I’m a big believer that sometimes the best way to uncover that resilience is to take on a big adventure.
As a proud ambassador for Girlguiding, I want to visit as many Girlguiding units during my run as I can. I’ll be speaking to girls of all ages about the joys of adventure and encouraging them to have the confidence to seek out new challenges, even when it might seem scary at first. I know that if these girls can take those first adventurous steps, then they will find the space to grow, and soon see what they’re truly capable of. I want to inspire the girls of the UK to be their brilliant selves.

Pippa Steel, a member of Girlguiding’s Advocate Panel, said:

The Barefoot Britain challenge shows girls that we can do anything. Adventure helps us to grow, to discover our potential, and build resilience. I want as many girls from all parts of Girlguiding to get involved and be inspired by Anna’s adventures.

Girlguiding members will have the opportunity to be visited by Anna during the Barefoot Britain challenge. To find out if she’s running near your unit, visit Anna's site  to see the route. You can arrange a visit by emailing [email protected].

In July 2018 Girlguiding updated its iconic badges and activities to give girls the chance to explore new interests in a supportive, girl-only space.

Embracing adventure is a key theme of the charity’s updated programme, which includes badges like Agility, Fitness, Navigator and Sports. In meetings, they can learn about camping and exploring with activities created to inspire all girls of all ages, from cooking over a tealight to navigating using the stars.