Bristol woman walks entire length of Great British coast for homelessness charities
Claire Allen describes the feeling of finally reaching the finish line.
It's taken just under a year, more than 4,000 miles, and five pairs of walking shoes but Claire Allen from Bristol has completed her epic walk of the coast of Great Britain.
She said: "It feels really brilliant so I think I feel in equal measures really excited to get to the end of this journey, to see my friends and family, to go home.
"I also feel quite sad that the chapter is very nearly over.
"But I think, most of all, I just feel really proud and really really grateful to all the people who've played a part in getting me this far."
The communications and fundraising professional set off from John O'Groats on 8 August 2023 and arrived back at the northernmost tip of Great Britain on 27 July, 2024.
When Claire set off, she was just planning a year out from her job and wanted to "do something different".
She said, "I wanted a change of scene. I've lived in Bristol for a long time and I've done the same sort of work for nearly 20 years now and I just really fancied a shake-up.
"Like I say, a change of scene - just doing something different to feel proud of and that would really challenge me."
The trek has certainly been a challenge and the difficulty of finding somewhere to sleep safely each night brought home to her the plight of homeless people.
She decided to raise money for homelessness charities Shelter and Only a Pavement Away, and has made more than £20,000 for the two causes.
She has even been shortlisted by fundraising website JustGiving as its Endurance Fundraiser of the Year.
Claire said: "I didn't set out to raise funds for homelessness but actually the hardest thing about this whole journey has been finding somewhere safe and secure to stay every night and it's just become clear to me how important having a home is.
"Without somewhere you can shelter, somewhere you can be safe, it's really hard to meet your most basic needs."
Claire may have finished her odyssey in broad sunshine but it has been a testing journey. She has had to brave stormy weather and other adversaries.
She said: "The weather has been not that kind to us this year. I think we had the rainiest February on record. The summer hasn't been great.
"There's been mud, there've been midges. Certainly in Scotland I've had to fight off the midges and the horseflies. There has been damage to my tent by a hungry fox.
"I've managed to get bitten by a tick but, do you know what?
"None of those things has ever really stopped me in my tracks because all the support I've had has meant that I've been able to keep going even in the face of some really hard times".
She has also experienced some incredible moments.
"There was a best bit to every single day so, while you never stay still, you're always moving on and sometimes that's hard.
"It's also really fantastic because you see different things, meet new people, experience brand new places and views and landscapes every single day."