The children of St Mary’s School in Richmond, as well as pupils from the Methodist and Trinity Academy Schools have recently received wellies and waterproofs from The Outdoor Guide Foundation (TOGF) so that they can enjoy playing and learning out-of-doors, regardless of the weather.

Deputy Headteacher of St Mary’s, Anna White, said, “Our school was delighted to be offered these wonderful wellies and waterproofs, which are already being put to good use.

“We are actively promoting outdoor learning and this kit will make it possible for a greater number of our pupils to participate in our Forest School activities.”

The offer of these supplies has been made possible due to an initiative from Richmond’s Community Interest Company (CIC) and through their launch of a Passport for Coast to Coast walkers this past year.

“Natural England has spent £5.6m upgrading the UK’s most popular long-distance path”, said Maggie Shackleton, the Passport Project Manager, “prior to it becoming a fully recognised member of the National Trail network at the end of March.

“With the likely increase in footfall, we wanted to create a Passport for Coast to Coast walkers. It would be used as a meaningful way to record each stage of a walker’s journey and act as a personal memento of their trek. It has also been designed to save walkers a bit of money on their adventures, by offering them discounts on food, drink and other supplies from participating businesses.”

The venture has proved to be a huge success with walkers and businesses along the entire length of the route from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay. Over £24,000 of funding was offered to develop the Passport from each of the local authorities that cover the 195 miles through which the Trail passes.

The Richmond CIC reinvests some of the profit it generates through the sale of the Coast to Coast Passport by supporting other activities that nurture outdoor pursuits. In 2025 this enabled it to donate £1000 to The Outdoor Guide Foundation which provides free kit to state primary schools all over the UK. £500 was given to the Wainwright Society.

Gina Bradbury, sister of author and broadcaster Julia Bradbury and founder of The Outdoor Guide Foundation (TOGF), said:
“Julia was absolutely delighted to write the foreword for the Coast to Coast Passport. Her love of the Trail — so beautifully reflected in her book and BBC programmes — made this a project she was genuinely excited to support.

“At the end of the 2025 walking season, when Richmond CIC kindly offered the Foundation a £1,000 donation, it felt only right to use that gift to provide wellies and waterproofs for local Richmond schools. It really is a virtuous circle — walkers supporting children, and children being given the chance to enjoy the outdoors making the outdoors accessible from an early age.”

Preparations are in their final stages for the publication of the 2026 editions of the Coast to Coast Passport. Advanced sales of the 2026 Passports have been very encouraging as news of the Passport has spread amongst those who used it last year.