Programme’s presenting team take on sponsored walks across the UK for BBC Children in Need,  encouraging nation to follow lead.

BBC One’s Countryfile presenting team announced on the Sunday 10 September show that they will be heading out into some of the nation’s most beautiful landscapes as they lead a range of sponsored rambles across the UK to raise money for BBC Children in Need. The presenters will be joined on the walks by viewers of the show as well as children and young people supported by BBC Children in Need funded projects.

This is the third year of the Countryfile Ramble for BBC Children in Need, which to date, has raised £2.3million for the charity. The 2017 presenter-led rambles will see the presenting team head to five different locations across the UK to undertake their rambles: Castlewellan Park in Northern Ireland; the Brecon Beacons; the west coast of Scotland; Dartmoor National Park and Bristol.

The Countryfile presenter-led rambles will see Adam Henson lead the largest group of ramblers on a walk through Bristol, with up to 1,200 supporters, taking in the stunning views from the Clifton Suspension Bridge on route. As featured during the programme on Sunday evening, Adam will be joined by The Penn Family, a family of four children: twins Toby and Corey, 14; Amber, 12; and Izzy, nine. Three of the children have been diagnosed with Batten Disease, an extremely rare and life-limiting genetic disorder that begins in childhood. The family are supported by Acorns Children’s Hospice in Worcester, which has been receiving funding from BBC Children in Need since 2011, to provide a support service to children and young people with life-limiting conditions.

Parents, Jody, 37, and wife Dee, 42, are looking forward to being a part of the Countryfile Ramble for BBC Children in Need.  Jody said: “We love being outdoors, so we try and get out as much as we can with the children and with our dogs. The children love going out and exploring so we’re really pleased to have been given the opportunity to take part in the Countryfile Ramble – we are all looking forward to doing it. It will be a challenge for the children but it will be great to raise awareness of Batten Disease.”

Elsewhere, Ellie Harrison will be joined in the Brecon Beacons by up to 50 Countryfile viewers and 16-year old Amy, from Caernarfon, who is profoundly deaf and has been supported by the North Wales Deaf Association. Taking on one of the most challenging routes, Matt Baker will head to Dartmoor National Park with a small group of supporters, and 19 year old Georgia from Hertfordshire who developed a brain tumour when she was 12-years old and has been supported by the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust.

Heading to the Scottish coastline, Anita Rani will ramble across the beaches of the west coast joined by up to 100 supporters and 11-year old Logan from Inverness who’s mum passed away last year and has been supported by Maggie’s Cancer Centre. Completing the rambles, John Craven will be in Castlewellan Park in Northern Ireland joined by 150 supporters and a group of young people supported by YMCA Lurgan, a youth development project which is funded by BBC Children in Need.

Tom Heap will also be heading out to meet members of the public putting on their own sponsored rambles over the ramble weekend.