My Activity Tracking
My tracker shows my steps for the 8 days of the challenge from 26th March to 2nd April. My goal progression shows all my steps including any I have done outside of the challenge days.
My Target: 80000 Steps
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Total
Goal Progression
Steps walked so far:
94,914 steps
My Target:
80,000 steps
94,914
We're walking 10,000 steps a day for Autism Initiatives!
This year marks our fourth time taking on the Walk for Autism challenge as a family! 💙
Once again, we’re aiming for 10,000 steps a day over eight days. Because of our opposite work shifts, we’ll be spreading our walks across four weekends, but we’re still committed to completing the challenge alongside everyone else on April 2nd, World Autism Awareness Day.
To keep things fun for the little ones, make our journey engaging for our amazing supporters, and share some beautiful places, we’ll be visiting a different location each day - this year going beyond Lincolnshire too!
Last year, we raised nearly £250, and we’ve attached a few photos from those special moments (please see the gallery). We’ll also be sharing posts from the first four days of this year’s challenge very soon, so keep an eye out!
If you would like to cheer us on, a donation would be hugely appreciated! 🥰
My achievements
Added profile picture
Shared page
First donation received
Raised £20 t-shirt is on its way
50% fundraising target
100% fundraising target
Challenge completed
My updates
Day 8 - Old Bolingbroke Castle 🏰
Friday 3rd Apr
We did it! We finally completed our walk! It took us a little longer than we initially planned, as it somehow felt more challenging than last year. The weather wasn’t on our side, and we ended up feeling a bit unwell from the cold. Still, when we think about why we’re doing this, it was absolutely worth the effort! 
Old Bolingbroke Castle is a ruined 13th-century enclosure castle, best known as the birthplace of King Henry IV in 1367. Located on the southern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, it’s now a peaceful national monument, with surviving lower walls, the ground floors of towers, and a water-filled moat.
Alicia and Alex had a great time there, playing princes and princesses and sending each other to the dungeons. They were full of imagination and really made the most of our short visit to the castle ruins.
A big thank you to everyone who has donated! 
Funds raised through Walk for Autism have helped support new charity-led initiatives across the UK. There’s still time to contribute, and we encourage you to do it! We’ll wrap things up in a few days and let you all know how we did. Thanks again, everyone!
Funds raised through Walk for Autism have helped support new charity-led initiatives across the UK. There’s still time to contribute, and we encourage you to do it! We’ll wrap things up in a few days and let you all know how we did. Thanks again, everyone!
Day 7 - Frampton Marsh Nature Reserve 🐂
Thursday 2nd Apr
Today’s walk took us to Frampton Marsh Nature Reserve - and what an incredible place it is. We enjoy exploring new locations, and it was very new to us. We only went there because Alex had a hospital appointment in Boston, so it was convenient for us to visit while it was that close, but random decisions are often the best ones. This one definitely was, and it looks like we'll be returning there soon, as the children have already decided they want to do their Easter Trail there this year.
Frampton Marsh offers a variety of freshwater habitats and is a great spot to watch the birdlife of The Wash, the largest bay in England. The views are truly spectacular, and the open spaces feel unreal! It’s one of those places where you can truly slow down and just enjoy the moment.
Today is Autism Awareness Day, and it was meant to be the day of our final walk. However, we had to stay home last Sunday as the children caught a cold, so we’re a little behind our original plan. We’re not giving up, though, just taking a little longer and already looking forward to tomorrow’s walk! Please bear with us - we’re nearly there!
Day 6 - Snipe Dales Nature Reserve 🐿️
Thursday 2nd Apr
I didn’t get a chance to post about our last walk as things were so busy with the final few days of school before Easter, but I'm catching up now as we get ready to head out again this upcoming weekend for our final push to complete the challenge!
I truly love this time of year when nature begins to come back to life, the days grow longer and brighter, the grass turns greener, and the trees start to bloom. It’s what makes these walks so special. After spending so much time indoors over the winter, being back outside feels even more meaningful.
This was our first visit to Snipe Dales this year, and it’s one of our favourite spots - just an 8-minute drive from home. It’s a beautiful little nature reserve with a network of streams running through it. The landscape is wonderfully varied, with woodland, wetland, and areas of scrubby meadow, making every walk there feel different.
We’re nearly at the finish line now, and we couldn’t have done it without all your support. Thank you all so much for being part of this journey!
Day 5 - Gibraltar Point Nature Reserve 🌿
Monday 30th Mar
Another location we visit every single time we take on our walking challenges. It’s a lovely alternative to the busy Skegness Beach - much cleaner, quieter, and truly peaceful. A real hidden gem of Lincolnshire.
Gibraltar Point is a fantastic spot for observing coastal birds throughout the year. In spring and autumn, large flocks of waders and geese gather on the salt marshes to rest, while summer brings nesting skylarks and terns. Several accessible hides, along with a rooftop viewing deck, provide excellent opportunities to spot rare species such as hen harriers and avocets. We spent some time in a couple of those small, bunker-like hides, watching the birds through binoculars, which made it a really enjoyable experience, especially for the little ones.
The reserve offers a network of flat, well-marked paths that wind through dunes, marshes, and lagoons. Most of the trails are easy to navigate and wheelchair-friendly, with views stretching across The Wash. The routes are generally circular, combining sheltered scrub with open coastal scenery.
Day 4 - Ostler's Plantation / Woodhall Spa 🌲
Sunday 29th Mar
Back in Lincolnshire, we visited our favourite forest, which we often come to - especially in autumn, during the mushroom foraging season. The weather wasn’t ideal as it was cold and windy, but luckily, we managed to catch some evening sunshine, which lifted our spirits after getting caught in a bit of rain.
The kids rediscovered their garden toy box today after not using any of the items during winter, so the football was kicked all around the forest, and we blew some bubbles. We also made swords out of fallen tree branches and shields out of large pieces of bark. Some swords were broken in battle, which led to a few tantrums, so it wasn’t quite as idyllic as it sounds! 
If muddy shoes are a measure of great outdoor fun, then we definitely had plenty of it. We should have worn wellies!
If muddy shoes are a measure of great outdoor fun, then we definitely had plenty of it. We should have worn wellies!Ostler’s Plantation is a woodland east of Woodhall Spa, on Kirkby Moor. It’s a popular area for walking, horse riding, and cycling, with organised mountain biking and archery events held there. It also includes the remains of Woodhall Spa’s wartime airfield.
The evening marked the halfway point of our challenge - four days down, four to go! A big thank you to everyone who has donated! It means a lot to us!
Day 3 - Heights of Abraham / Matlock Bath 🚠
Friday 27th Mar
Rather than heading straight back home after visiting Manchester, we decided to make the most of the beautiful, sunny weather and a scenic route ahead of us, so we took a little detour and stopped in Matlock Bath for our third walk of the challenge. It gave us the perfect chance to finally visit the famous Heights of Abraham, which had been on our list for a while.
The Heights of Abraham is a hilltop park set on Masson Hill, reached by a cable car ride from the village below. Open since Victorian times, it offers plenty to explore, including cavern and mine tours, as well as the Victoria Prospect Tower with its spiral staircase and panoramic views over the Derwent Valley. There's also an outdoor play area for children, a restaurant, a cafe, an ice cream parlour, and two gift shops filled with rock and mineral-themed items.
With its woodland paths and steep limestone cliffs, the landscape felt completely different from the flat seaside views we're used to. Such a refreshing change of scenery, and a brilliant little adventure - a great spot for a family day out! 
Day 2 - Manchester City Walk / Manchester Museum 🌇
Thursday 26th Mar
As it turned out, we had a consular appointment in Manchester on the same day as our walk, so that's where the walk had to happen! Since it's quite a long drive, especially with the little ones, we decided to turn it into a mini road trip, book a hotel, and stay overnight. Driving through the Peak District didn't disappoint, treating us all to some truly beautiful views along the way!
After taking care of the official matters, we headed to the Manchester Museum. The kids have recently been learning about Ancient Egypt at school, and since the museum has an exhibition on it, it felt like an obvious choice for our visit. Alex was absolutely mesmerized by the mummies and hieroglyphs, but also loved the dinosaur and fossil exhibits - especially Stan, the enormous T. Rex skeleton. Alicia, very much like her mum, was most fascinated by the minerals display and, of course, we couldn't leave without picking up a few pieces from the gift shop! Safe to say, they both found something they loved and really enjoyed the visit!
Owned by the University of Manchester, the museum showcases an impressive range of collections spanning archeology, anthropology, and natural history. The beautifully curated galleries on China, South Asia, Egypt, and Africa help children explore different cultures, while the short talks by museum staff were engaging and gave them a chance to ask plenty of questions.
It was a brilliant day out, full of discovery for all of us! We would highly recommend a visit to anyone curious about the world around them! 
Day 1 - North Sea Observatory 🌊
Wednesday 25th Mar
North Sea Observatory has been part of our walks since our very first challenge a few years ago. It's one of our favourite landmarks in the area - peaceful, scenic, and always worth a visit.
This time, the weather was wild! The wind was so strong that taking any decent photos was nearly impossible - we were being blown around the whole time. Still, we made the most of it - strolling along the shore, spotting starfish and seagulls, before warming up at the cosy Seascape Cafe.
The North Sea Observatory is a purpose-built, fully accessible marine centre featuring exhibitions on the area's rich natural history, an art space, a cafe, as well as public toilets and parking. Situated on a slight promontory at Chapel Point near Chapel St Leonard, it offers breathtaking views of the sea and beach, making it a much-loved local landmark.
We really enjoyed visiting it again this year - a perfect start to our challenge! 
