Barton Peveril Students to Walk 422 miles from Bude to Plymouth

Barton Peveril Sixth Form College students Holly and Daisy Wilkinson are walking 422 miles, from Bude to Plymouth, to raise awareness about the importance of mental health in Millennials and Gen Z.

Holly and Daisy, teenage sisters and long-distance running athletes from Hampshire, are walking the entire 422 miles of Cornwall coast in less than 25 days to raise money and awareness of mental health. 

They will embark on the journey without smartphones, which they believe are a leading cause in negative mental health amongst their peer groups. The students will only be taking camping equipment, a tracker app and a basic phone for emergencies. Their only luxury items include a wind-up radio, a few energy bars, and a pair of new hiking shoes.

The pair aim to cover between 10 and 25 miles per day, to complete their journey of the world’s longest coastline.

Holly completed her studies at Barton Peveril this year and is embarking on the fundraising journey before attending university. Daisy will be joining Barton Peveril this year, completing the trek after completing her GCSEs at Brookfield Community School.

This is not Holly Wilkinson’s first athletic endeavour. Holly was selected for the British Athletics Youth Talent Programme in November 2020, which is the first step in the England Talent pathway that helps talented athletes develop a dual career by fulfilling their potential within the sport and also in their education and employability.

Speaking on the fundraiser, Daisy Wilkinson said:

“I have noticed since walking the coast how many people I see everywhere glued to their phones, and it can’t be good for our mental health. It felt strange at first but now that I haven’t been on social media for over a week I feel so much better for it. As an athlete I am quite aware of the changes in my own mental health due to food and exercise but this challenge has just proved it to me even more. I think it’s so important, especially for people of my age, to be more aware of the amount of time they are spending on their phones – and to get outdoors more and experience real life – which can be so much better and more fun!”