World_of_Animals_Issue_46_2017

Interview with a…
wildlife fundraiser
Walk 4 Wildlife is a great example of how much we can do to help
animals just by putting on our walking shoes and joining together
In 2015, colleagues
Mark Oliver and
Mike Matthews
wanted to get a few
people together for
a sponsored relay
walk to raise funds for
their favourite wildlife
charities. But as word got out and more
people became interested, the idea turned
into something much bigger. Now they are
holding several fundraising events with the
aim of raising £1million this summer.
What is Walk 4 Wildlife?
Walk 4 Wildlife events are sponsored walks
that bring together like-minded people;
people with an empathy for animals and
a determination to go the extra mile to
help protect wildlife. We have five very
different events this summer, each one
a challenge. The season starts in the
Sussex South Downs with our ‘3-Distance
Challenge’ and ends with a 20-mile
[32.2-kilometre] night safari walk in the
New Forest.
On 19 May, a unique event will be
taking place across the UK. Hundreds
of thousands of primary school children
will be taking part in a mass sponsored
walk, in an attempt to break a Guinness
World Record. On the day, primary schools
around the country will be joining together
to try and break the world record for the
most people walking in an organised event.
The current record is 231,635 people all
walking at the same time!
How was it founded?
In 2015, we came up with an idea to
do a sponsored relay walk to raise
money for five carefully chosen wildlife
charities. Originally, just a handful of people
were each going to be walking a section of
the route for their chosen cause. However,
as the word spread and more people
wanted to join the walk, it quickly became
apparent that we needed to expand our
ideas, and so we put together a Land’s End
to John o’Groats 50-day relay walk. We
wanted to make this first Walk 4 Wildlife
a walk for some of the world’s most iconic
and endangered species and so we came
up with our own ‘Big 5’. Having chosen
cheetahs, elephants, lions, rhinos and tigers,
we then selected five separate charities to
benefit from the proceeds of each walk.
Although a lot of people wanted to join
the walk, for many the route was either too
far away or was coming through their area
on a day that just wasn’t convenient. So we
set about organising other walks up and
down the UK, so that many more people
could join in. With very little publicity and
relying only on word-of-mouth, another
eight walks were held over the summer
of 2016, raising over £25,000 for our five
charities. This year, we are hoping to create
something really special for wildlife.
Why should people get involved?
There is no other event like this where
people can come together to raise
money for wildlife. From the majestic lion
to the humble hedgehog, the critically
endangered black rhino to the mountain
gorilla, animals around the world need our
help. If you have a compassion for animals
and are thinking about doing something
for charity this year; if you want to support
your local wildlife charity, or help protect
endangered species, why not get involved?
Who can take part?
The Big 5 events have been carefully
created so that everyone can take part.
From a gentle stroll along the Sussex South
Downs, to some harsh hill walking over the
Yorkshire Three Peaks, our five sponsored
walks should appeal to everyone. The
Guinness World Record attempt on 19
May is aimed primarily at schools. Anyone
wanting to take part should contact us at
enquiries@walk4wildlife.uk and we can
put them in touch with their local schools.
How can people sign up?
Visit www.walk4wildlife.uk, or email
enquiries@walk4wildlife.uk for more
information and to get signed up.
“Hundreds of thousands of primary
school children across the country will
take part in a mass sponsored walk”
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