Stepping Out: How Forces Wives Challenge is building Confidence and Community
Written by Anna Hale, Army wife and Adventure Academy manager at Forces Wives Challenge
Life as a partner in the military can often feel isolating. Deployments, frequent moves and the unique pressures of military life can make it challenging to find your footing and connect with others who understand. That’s where Forces Wives Challenge (FWC) comes in, offering a fantastic way to unite women who have partners in the Armed Forces through adventure and challenge. And sometimes the biggest adventures start with the smallest steps!
Microadventures: Big Impact, Local Fun
While FWC is known for its exciting international expeditions, we also champion the power of microadventures, particularly our regional Lowland Walks. These are designed to be accessible and enjoyable, bringing together the FWC community right across the UK. Imagine groups of women across the country, all lacing up their boots and hitting the trails on the same day – it’s a powerful feeling of unity!
We’ve had some wonderful examples of these walks, from our moving Poppy Hikes at Remembrance time to celebratory International Women’s Day walks. These aren’t just strolls; they’re opportunities to connect, share and grow. We have also run several ‘Pop-Up Walks’, where groups get together at short notice to enjoy a sociable walk in their local area.
Breaking Down Barriers, Building Confidence
It’s easy to talk ourselves out of trying something new. We often hear “I’m too busy,” “I’m worried about getting lost,” or “I just don’t have time for myself” as reasons that stop our members putting on their boots to explore the outdoors. Our lowland walks are designed to break down those barriers. Open to women of all abilities, they offer a chance to get outside and enjoy the countryside in a friendly, relaxed group, whilst only requiring the time commitment of a day or half day away.
FWC Adventure Academy
A key to our success is that many of these walks are led by a team of enthusiastic leaders trained from within our own community through our Adventure Academy. This peer-led approach fosters a supportive and understanding environment, making it even easier to take that first step. The Adventure Academy is in its second year and our community is already feeling the benefits with 11 new Lowland Leaders who have gone on to lead 15 lowland walks in the last 12 months, enjoyed by over 160 members. With our membership increasing rapidly, growing our own leaders allows FWC to be more self-sustaining, as well as helping to promote female leadership in the outdoors.
Despite women making up 42% of mountaineering participants, they are significantly underrepresented as Mountain Leaders, holding only 25% of qualifications (data from Mountain Training 2022). Our Adventure Academy supported two members through Mountain Leader training in 2024, both of whom are going forward for assessment this year. They will be followed by four more FWC members, currently preparing for a training course in September.
Mastering the Map: Our ‘Big Nav Day’
To further empower our community, we organised a ‘Big Nav Day’ in eight locations across the UK, where our members learned basic navigation skills in a supportive group setting. It was a great way to demystify maps and compasses, turning potential anxieties into exciting new capabilities. Following the day, which included a mixture of classroom and outdoor practical sessions, each participant went home with a compass, having gained the skills and confidence to follow a simple route.
FWC member Karen gained a huge amount from the day:
“I thoroughly enjoyed my Poppy Hike and Big Nav Day organised by FWC. So much so that I wanted to share my experience with my husband. We packed a picnic and off we went! Those days arranged by FWC gave me the confidence to navigate him around 10 miles of the South Downs Way paths.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed my Poppy Hike and Big Nav Day organised by FWC. So much so that I wanted to share my experience with my husband. We packed a picnic and off we went! Those days arranged by FWC gave me the confidence to navigate him around 10 miles of the South Downs Way paths.”
It was so rewarding seeing participants gain confidence in reading maps and exploring routes in their local area.
Where Have Our Boots Taken Us?
Our walks have explored some beautiful parts of the UK. The Poppy Hike routes were planned to include at least one war memorial, allowing the group the opportunity to reflect and pay tribute to our fallen servicemen and women. Here are just a few of the routes we enjoyed, click the links above to find the routes on OS Maps.
These walks are more than just exercise; they’re about building friendships, gaining new skills, and experiencing the incredible power of community.
If you are a partner of someone in the UK Armed Forces (either currently serving or veteran) and you are looking for an adventure, big or small, and a supportive community, we’d love you to join us! Find out more at www.forceswiveschallenge.org
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By Anna Hale
Anna Hale is an Army wife and Adventure Academy manager at Forces Wives Challenge
More information about FWC, including how to sign up as a member, can be found at www.forceswiveschallenge.org
