NI teenager gets rambling role on BBC programme

Margherita Taylor will be joined by 17-year-old Clara from Portadown in a one-to-one ramble around the Silent Valley in the Mourne Mountains.

The rambles will take place on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October and be filmed and broadcast in a special programme ‘The Countryfile Ramble for BBC Children in Need’ on Sunday, November 1 on BBC One.

Unlike previous years, the presenter led rambles will be closed to members of the public due to restrictions surrounding Covid-19.

Ahead of the Silent Valley ramble, Clara said: “I’m so excited to be taking part in this year’s Countryfile Ramble for BBC Children in Need.

“Having the support of Margherita Taylor and the Countryfile team will give me the encouragement I need to keep me going during my ramble.

“I’m so happy to be able to help, make a difference and raise funds for young people across the UK.”

Clara has dealt with anxiety issues from the age of 14, and has previously described the feeling as a “never ending circle of mess and badness”.

However, Clara found the support she needed from Community Intercultural Programme’s Oasis Youth project in Co Armagh, which currently receives a grant of £91,000 from BBC Children in Need, over three years.

The project, which has provided Clara with one-to-one support and has given her the opportunity to join the project’s leadership programme, was established in response to an identified need to support young people from diverse communities to access youth provision within the area.

Through the project, Clara has been to New Hampshire in the USA with project leaders to participate in a programme where she was able to learn new skills to help support young people like herself.

Despite the challenges she has faced, Clara is an ambitious young woman who continues to inspire those around her.

Her mum Fatima said: “Clara can’t wait to get going with this year’s Countryfile Ramble. She loves working in a team and enjoys getting outside in the fresh air.

“The Oasis Project has provided Clara with amazing support over the years and we’re so thankful to them. We’re delighted to see Clara achieve something like the Countryfile Ramble and we’re so immensely proud of her.”

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