Zoe at the start of the John Muir Way, Scotland.
Zoe Mitchell did much more than just have an adventure. She spent 11 days in July hiking on her own to raise money for No Name Kitchen and the John Muir Trust, she learnt about herself and she recharged. Here’s more about Zoe and her challenge.
The John Muir Way is a walking path in Scotland. For 215 km it wends its way through towns, across mountains, leading towards the finish point - the town of Dunbar on the East coast. It’s permitted to wild camp in Scotland, so Zoe was carrying everything she needed with her and slept outside in nature.
It was while staying at a Workaway in Kent that Zoe heard about No Name Kitchen. “I already had a plan to do a long walk, and thought I might be able to raise a bit of money too. My workaway hosts told me about No Name Kitchen.” Zoe wanted to find a small organisation who would really benefit from her contribution.
“I became self-employed during the lockdown, so I have the time and flexibility to do a long hike like this.” Zoe makes reusable sanitary pads out of hemp, take a look at her shop here. “I’d done plenty of camping before but never combined with so much walking.” And the increase in walking quickly made itself known. Zoe had to visit a minor injuries unit when her Achilles tendon became inflamed, fortunately she was reassured that it wasn’t anything more serious and she could carry on. “I was really worried that my journey would be over when I’d only just begun! I knew that people had put trust in me to complete the whole route and had donated money, so it would have been really tough to give up.”
The John Muir Way is a walking path in Scotland. For 215 km it wends its way through towns, across mountains, leading towards the finish point - the town of Dunbar on the East coast. It’s permitted to wild camp in Scotland, so Zoe was carrying everything she needed with her and slept outside in nature.
It was while staying at a Workaway in Kent that Zoe heard about No Name Kitchen. “I already had a plan to do a long walk, and thought I might be able to raise a bit of money too. My workaway hosts told me about No Name Kitchen.” Zoe wanted to find a small organisation who would really benefit from her contribution.
“I became self-employed during the lockdown, so I have the time and flexibility to do a long hike like this.” Zoe makes reusable sanitary pads out of hemp, take a look at her shop here. “I’d done plenty of camping before but never combined with so much walking.” And the increase in walking quickly made itself known. Zoe had to visit a minor injuries unit when her Achilles tendon became inflamed, fortunately she was reassured that it wasn’t anything more serious and she could carry on. “I was really worried that my journey would be over when I’d only just begun! I knew that people had put trust in me to complete the whole route and had donated money, so it would have been really tough to give up.”
What a view! From the John Muir Way in Scotland. Photo: Zoe Mitchell.
Lockdown has changed how people see the outside. For those in urban areas, prevented from travelling far, the lack of time in green places and nature has taken a toll. Zoe explained to me how important being in nature is for her mental health. “It was an opportunity to unplug and to engage in nature. There were things I noticed, like a bird near my camp, that I would have missed if I’d been staring at my phone.” That’s why Zoe was supporting the John Muir Trust too. Their aim is “protecting and repairing wild places” to ensure that green and are there for nature and people in the future.
Time in nature wasn’t the only benefit either. Spending that much time on your own could be daunting, you have to deal with anything that crops up without the support of another person. “I feel that I gained confidence. I had to look after myself, make decisions and ask for help and the confidence boost means I would tackle another long hike like this in the future.”
Time in nature wasn’t the only benefit either. Spending that much time on your own could be daunting, you have to deal with anything that crops up without the support of another person. “I feel that I gained confidence. I had to look after myself, make decisions and ask for help and the confidence boost means I would tackle another long hike like this in the future.”
Nearly there, the coast of Scotland. Photo: Zoe Mitchell.
Our conversation circled back to No Name Kitchen. Refugees end up walking many hundreds of miles on their journeys to safer places. Zoe was impressed though, that NNK helps not only with health care and life essentials, but also the advocacy side of things. Denouncing the illegal actions of the authorities and highlighting the inequalities faced by people-on-the-move. “It was on my rest-day, I was camping in a park when the police woke me up. It was the friendliest encounter - they wanted to check I was ok as there had been a fight reported in the park. Yet it was still intimidating. I can’t imagine what it’s like for all the people who are treated badly by the police.”
Thank you Zoe, for raising much needed funds for No Name Kitchen. You can donate to Zoe’s fund-raising here, or directly to NNK here.
Have you thought about a long distance hike? What would be your concerns? Have you got a challenge planned that you could ask for sponsorship for? Comment below.
Thank you Zoe, for raising much needed funds for No Name Kitchen. You can donate to Zoe’s fund-raising here, or directly to NNK here.
Have you thought about a long distance hike? What would be your concerns? Have you got a challenge planned that you could ask for sponsorship for? Comment below.
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