Violet, aged eight from York will take part in this year’s Countryfile Ramble to raise awareness and fundraise for BBC Children in Need’s 2021 Appeal. Joined by TV presenter, Steve Brown, they will both explore the stunning landscape of steep slopes and undulating plateaus punctuated by spectacular gorges and rocky outcrops in the Mendip Hills, Somerset. Their Countryfile Ramble, with a difference, will see an exciting take on traditional rambling this October, with more to be revealed when broadcast as part of The Countryfile Ramble for BBC Children in Need, on BBC One, tonight, Sunday 24th October at 6 pm.

Violet has been supported by BBC Children in Need funded project, Transplant Sport, since she was three years old. Born with OTC Deficiency, a metabolic condition which causes ammonia levels to rise in the body, Violet spent the first two years of her life regularly hospitalised until aged two, when she received a liver transplant in the hope that it would give her a better quality of life. Violet’s new liver sadly began to fail and she was placed on the national Super Urgent list for transplant. With heartfelt gratitude to her second donor and their family, Violet received her life-saving surgery only a few hours later. Eleven months after the two major surgeries, Violet joined The Leeds Children’s Transplant Team and began competing in sports at the British Transplant Games.

Transplant Sport gives children, young people and adults who have received organ, stem cell or bone marrow transplants the opportunity to meet new people and make memories with their friends whilst promoting an active lifestyle, which is essential for post-transplant health.

Violet shares: “Transplant Sport has given me the confidence to try new things, make new friends and to believe in myself. It has shown me that winning isn’t always about coming first in a race, it can also be about overcoming a challenge and feeling proud of yourself. This year, I overcame my fear of blood tests and it felt amazing to know that I had finally won that battle, with support from my Transplant Team friends. I hope that by completing the ramble and abseil, I will be able to encourage people to talk about organ donation, show why Transplant Sport is so important, and inspire people to believe that with determination and the right support, they can overcome any challenge.”

Since 2016, Violet’s first participation in the Transplant Games, her family state that Transplant Sport has been a vital, positive influence on Violet’s physical and emotional health, her resilience and confidence. The friendships between Violet and her team mates reach far beyond the weekend at the British Transplant Games. Violet creates a scrapbook with photos each year, labelled as her most prized possessions. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Transplant Games unfortunately came to a stand-still, which was upsetting for Violet. Violet took part in the Virtual British Transplant Games, completing a 3k run in memory of her two donors. To her delight, Violet’s Mum arranged for her Transplant Team friends to send photos of their own 3k runs so that Violet would be able to fill her 2020 Transplant Games Scrapbook.

Transplant Sport offers children and young people the chance to take part in sports and activities throughout the year, including the British Transplant Games in the Summer season, an opportunity to socialise with other children, young people and families facing similar mental and physical challenges. BBC Children in Need currently fund Transplant Sport to the value of £119,137 to fund a Transplant Sport Kids and Teens Co-ordinator. The Co-ordinator organises sports and fun activities for children who are recipients of organ transplants, at the British Transplant Games and across the UK all year round. During the pandemic, the Games were cancelled so the Kids Co-ordinator organised online activities so the children could stay engaged in sports and maintain their friendships.

Over the course of six years, ramblers have raised more than £10.3million for the charity. Since 2015, we have seen presenters and young people tackle routes located across the UK from Northern Ireland to the Cotswolds. This year will see the presenters and young people taking on additional ramble challenges in some of the nation’s most exquisite locations including Stonehaven in Scotland, Cwmcarn Forest in South Wales, Helvellyn in the Lake District, Holkham in Norfolk and Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland.

This year’s ramble will be tackled by Countryfile presenters Matt Baker, Ellie Harrison, Tom Heap, Margherita Taylor, Steve Brown and the newest ramble addition: Charlotte Smith. John Craven will also be supporting, championing his co-stars and catching-up with members of the public via video-calls on their own organised rambles.

Continuing with the same approach as 2020, the presenters are set to lead solo rambles, closed to members of the public as core safety measures are honoured due to COVID-19. However, the public are still encouraged to get involved by taking part in their own sponsored rambles to help change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK. Full details on how to get involved are available at: bbc.co.uk/countryfile.