Sam was a young la I took on an expedition to Borneo back in 2013. He was passionate about football, full of energy, humour and heart. Fiercely determined. Sam had a profound impact on my life. Losing him in 2018 was devastating, but his light continues to shine through the Sam Hill Shining Star Award. This award isn’t just about recognising people doing great things. It’s about keeping conversations going, breaking the silence around mental health, and keeping a promise I made to Sam’s mum to make sure his memory always lives on. Too many young people lose their lives to suicide and everyday should be world suicide prevention day. This year the award goes to Marcus Skeet @thehullboy . Marcus’s story is remarkable. He’s faced depression, anxiety, OCD and type 2 diabetes. He became a young carer when his dad was diagnosed with dementia and reached a point where he didn’t want to be here anymore. But instead of giving up, he started running. One mile a day turned into something much bigger. In 58 days he ran from Land’s End to John o’Groats, becoming the youngest person to run the length of Britain. He’s raised over £150,000 for Mind and inspired thousands with his honesty and heart. Marcus’s courage to keep going when life gets hard, to talk about mental health openly, and to use his story to help others captures exactly what this award is about. I took Sam on that expedition to Borneo all those years ago, and every year this award reminds me that his spirit lives on through others. Those who prove that no matter how hard the road, there’s always light to be found. We’re excited to provide platform for Marcus to share is powerful story. Happy birthday Sam. Your star keeps shining. Love always, Stu (Founder of @headoutsideawards) (fb)

The finalists for the Head Outside Awards 2025 have been chosen. These awards celebrate the people and projects showing what the outdoors can do for our mental health. This year’s nominations were full of heart, and narrowing them down was far from easy. What stands out is the passion and commitment of people who are building communities, opening up opportunities, and creating space for others to belong. Outstanding Community Come Outside — @comeoutsideco Wellness Within UK — @wellnesswithinuk Lost Culture Running Club — @lostculture.run Wellbeing Warrior Georgia Carmichael — @georgiacarmic Nicola Wager — @nicky.walks Glenn Mahaffy — @glenn73mahaff Changemaker Rebecca Dawson — @myoutdoorsadventures Adrian Nelhams — @adriannelhams Make More Magic — @makemoremagic Outstanding Organisation Millimetres to Mountains — @millimetres2mountains Climbing Out — @climbingoutcharity Cycling Minds — @cyclingminds Outstanding Media / Campaign Everyone’s Everest — @everyoneseverest White Fox Talking — @whitefoxtalking The Big Step Out — @carersstepoutuk Sam Hill Shining Star Award Marcus Skeet — @thehullboy Winners will be announced at Kendal Mountain Festival following a judging process, with further details to be shared soon. Head Outside Awards Ceremony 📅 Saturday 22nd November 2025 🕘 09:45–10:45 📍 YETI Yurt Basecamp, Kendal Mountain Festival Please join us in celebrating these amazing humans and their inspirational stories! (fb)