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Meet the Winners of the 2024 Next Challenge Grant

I am delighted to announce the winners of the 2024 Next Challenge Grant. A wonderful spread of walking, running, cycling, climbing, swimming and skiing. Some in far flung places like Guam and Armenia, and others all done on by bus and train. And all uplifting to read about. Here they are in their own words… Running the Trans Caucasian Trail – Katya & Lucia – £300 Katya, 25, Climate…

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Crossing the Alps on foot

In their application, Next Challenge Grant winners and Zoe and Juliette described themselves as “passionate about hiking as well as sheep”. They were agricultural engineering students and decided to use their grant money for a 1,000 mile walk across the European alps, interviewing shepherds and shepherdesses on their way. The Next Challenge Grant is an annual adventure bursary supported by…

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2024 Next Challenge Grant - Open for applications

The Next Challenge Grant is now open for adventures happening in 2024. Click here to apply. What is The Next Challenge Grant? The Next Challenge Grant funds people having adventures, big and small, anywhere in the world. It is particularly aimed at those who have not done much or any of this sort of thing before, so if you’re reading this thinking “I’d love to do that but I don’t know where to…

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The Frog Whitton Challenge 

Cycling and dipping in the 16 biggest water bodies in the Lake District Last summer, Laura cycled around the Lake District, dipping into the 16 largest water bodies, in what she’s christened the Frog Whitton Challenge. She tells us more in this blog post. Many years ago, together with a group of mates, I decided to try and dip in all the lakes* in the Lake District in a day. Only four lakes in,…

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Microplastic Microexpedition on the River Severn

Microplastic microexpedition on the River Severn (Next Challenge Grant winner)

A-level student Alex was originally awarded a Next Challenge Grant in 2020 to walk the Cornish coastline, to raise awareness of the need to reduce our dependency on single-use plastics. The Covid pandemic intervened and the plan changed: instead of the Plastic Plod, Alex proposed a Plastic Paddle. With three friends, he paddled 120 miles along the River Severn, collecting plastic fragments and…

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West Windermere Way

A brand new 6km accessible trail has just opened on the west side of Windermere. Laura and our three sons went to explore… West Windermere Way What is the West Windermere Way? The West Windermere Way is a 6km* accessible route, from Newby Bridge at the southern tip up to Lakeside YMCA. The first section up to Lakeside opened in spring 2023, with the extension to Lakeside YMCA opening in July…

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Walking the Lycian Way

Walking the Lycian Way: Next Challenge grant winner 2022.

Jes and Pete won a Next Challenge Grant in 2022 to walk the Lycian Way in southern Turkey. This is the report from their adventure (caution: may provoke severe wanderlust). The Next Challenge Grant is a crowd-funded adventure grant which has supported over 70 adventures since it was founded in 2015. Applications for 2023 are now closed, but you can read about past winners and donate…

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Meet the Winners of the 2023 Next Challenge Grant

Following a Bulgarian narrow gauge railway. Walking from one white horse to another. A triathlon across Wales. A swim the length of Cumbria. A cycle through the Great Sambisa Forest. A cycle to every settlement on the Isle of Wight. These brilliant ideas and more from the 13 wonderful winners of the 2023 Next Challenge Grant. As ever, the money for these grants comes from me and many generous…

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Traversing Mount Tantalus

Crossing Mount Tantalus, Canada: Next Challenge Grant winner 2022.

Athlyn Cathcart-Keays won a Next Challenge Grant in 2022 to traverse Mount Tantalus, near her home in Canada. Starting from her home at sea level, she crossed the range over two days, encountering everything from sunshine, snow and storms. This is her trip report. The Next Challenge Grant is a crowd-funded adventure grant which has supported over 70 adventures since it was founded in 2015.…

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Running across every UK national park

Running across every UK national park: Next Challenge 2019 grant winner

Mike Creighton won a Next Challenge Grant in 2019 to run across all the national parks in the UK. Health issues means he still has one park left to go, but in the meantime here is his story. The Next Challenge Grant is a crowd-funded adventure grant which has supported over 70 adventures since it was founded in 2015. Applications for 2023 are now closed, but you can read about past winners and…

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Bikepacking Scotland coast to coast (and back again)

Bikepacking Scotland coast to coast (and back again): Next Challenge grant winner 2022

Kay Emmerson won a Next Challenge Grant in 2022 to bike across Scotland and back. It was exactly the sort of low key, low cost adventure we love to support. This is her trip report. The Next Challenge Grant is a crowd-funded adventure grant which has supported over 70 adventures since it was founded in 2015. Applications for 2023 are now closed, but you can read about past winners and…

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Walking the Bob Graham Round

Walking the Bob Graham Round: Next Challenge Grant winner 2022

Colin Foord won a Next Challenge Grant in 2022 to walk the iconic Bob Graham Round. Aged 17, he completed the route over 3 days, covering over 100km with 8,200 metres of climbing. The Next Challenge Grant is a crowd-funded adventure grant which has supported over 70 adventures since it was founded in 2015. Applications for 2023 are now closed, but you can read about past winners and…

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2023 Grant Winners

Here is a sneak preview of the winning ideas from the 2023 Next Challenge Grant. I will upload details once I’ve heard back from all the winners with their responses and some photographs. As ever, the headline ideas rarely do justice to how good these applications are but they should give you a sense of what’s in store on the blog this year. 2023 Next Challenge Grant Winners (In no particular…

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Slow fast-packing the Hajar Mountains of Oman

Slow fast-packing the Hajar Mountains of Oman: Next Challenge grant winner 2022

Chloe Boxall won a Next Challenge grant in 2022, to support her plan to fast-pack across the Western Hajar mountains in Oman. Having lived in Oman and explored these mountains, we were instantly captivated by this idea (not to mention hugely envious). Chloe was joined in this adventure by Alice Hudson and reports back on her travels. The Next Challenge Grant is a crowd-funded adventure grant…

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Walking the Kids to School... and keeping on going

Ali Makoutz won a Next Challenge Grant in 2022 to walk her kids to school, and then keep on going through the foothills of the Sierras. Read her story here.

Ali Makoutz won a Next Challenge Grant in 2022 to walk her kids to school, and then keep on going through the foothills of the Sierras. As a nurse and mother of four girls she doesn’t have a lot of time to nurture her own adventurous spirit, but has been dreaming about microadventures you can fit in between drop-off and pick-time from school. This proposal caught our eye because it demonstrates…

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Next Challenge Grant 2023 - Open for applications

Next Challenge Grant 2023 – Open for applications

The Next Challenge Grant is now open for donations and applications. Click here to donate Click here to apply Now in its eighth year, the Next Challenge Grant has supported over 70 different adventures across the globe. It is open to anyone, anywhere in the world and you do not need expedition experience to apply. In fact, it is aimed at people who have not done a lot (or any)…

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Meet the Winners of the 2022 Next Challenge Grant

Meet the Winners of the 2022 Next Challenge Grant

Here are the wonderful people and ideas that won Next Challenge Grants this year. Apologies for the delay in sharing their stories. The 2023 Next Challenge Grant will open for applications very soon. Crossing the Alps on foot – Zoe Mitaut and Juliette Polle – £400 We are Juliette and Zoe, 22 and 24 years old and we both study agronomy and sustainable breeding in Montpellier in the south of…