Walking Partnerships®

Reconnect to yourself and your leadership through the power of movement in nature.

Walking Partnerships® is a collaboration between Anni Townend, Lucy Kidd and Natalie Shering FRSA, created out of a shared love of being in nature - specifically walking and talking in the outdoors.


Nature, connection, and shared experiences can have a profound effect on wellbeing, confidence, and leadership, giving you the space to think freely. According to research from Forest Research, spending just 30 minutes a week in woodlands has a significant impact on mental wellbeing. However, even a ‘micro-moment’ in nature can be beneficial.

What to expect from our walk and talk experience?

 

The space to reflect, recharge and reset. Strap on your boots and move forward with clarity and confidence.

Facilitated by experienced coaches and mentors, Anni, Lucy and Natalie, these walks create the space you need to think and connect. Take a journey through the beautiful countryside in Sussex or Surrey, supported and encouraged through open conversations.

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Assorted books and magnifying glasses on a wooden table.

Discover more ways to integrate nature into your life and leadership.


We host our Walking Partnerships three times a year - Spring, Summer and Autumn.

If you’d like to join us, please get in touch for more information.

If you’d like to organise a Walking Partnerships® event for you and your team, please contact Anni.

Connect

Meet the Team

Three people smiling wearing outdoor jackets and backpacks, standing in a natural, green environment.

  • For over 30 years, Anni has been a trusted leadership partner to individuals, teams, and organisations around the world. She is an Executive Coach, Author, Speaker, Facilitator, and Entrepreneur. Anni hosts the Leaders in Conversation Podcast with Anni Townend®. 

    Passionately believing in the power of courageous conversations, Anni helps people to connect to themselves, their values, their teams and each other through inclusive dialogue. Based in the South Downs National Park, Anni is inspired by the outdoors and regularly adopts the walk and talk approach to coaching with clients.

    For more information, visit the About page or get in touch here.

  • Lucy is an Executive Leadership & Team Coach who partners with leaders to create inclusive cultures of care and connection as an enabler to business results. On a mission to spark more meaningful connections and conversations at work, Lucy is a firm believer that amazing things happen when people feel seen, heard, understood and valued - when they are clear on the meaningful contribution they make. 

    Lucy’s background is in Business Psychology with over 20 years international experience coaching and developing senior leaders and teams. Recently, she moved back to the UK after working for 8 years in Dubai - where she created Barefoot Beach Walks as a ‘coaching conversation in motion’ for leaders and teams. This evolved into her Talk the Walk coaching programme; built around a series of outdoor walks, this drew on the natural environment to deepen connection and inspire new perspectives. 

    Lucy recently co-created The Collaboration Equation with Anni Townend. At the heart of all her work, this approach invites curiosity, care and courage as a foundation for creating psychological safety and inclusive dialogue - nourishing diversity of thought, and driving collaborative edge. 

    Connect with Lucy on LinkedIn page here.

  • Natalie brings a breadth of experience working with individuals and teams in various sectors. This includes supporting teams by leading innovative projects across multiple countries for a top 3 global pharmaceutical organisation, and providing pro-bono work as a coach and mentor with the Cherie Blair Foundation for female entrepreneurs in developing countries. 

    Generated by her passion for photography, Natalie brings a creative perspective to all her work using storytelling and visual metaphor. She’s known for her light-hearted, compassionate approach, and a willingness to share and collaborate readily. 

    Having trained as a Registered Nurse, Natalie holds an MSc in Nursing and Nursing Administration from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. 

    Connect with Natalie via her website.

Books on Walking

Here are some of my favourite books for exploring the topic of walking, paths, self awareness, time in nature. You can download the list here that includes authors Tristan Gooley, Annabel Streets, Kate Humble. Learn more about the walk and talk approach here.

Walk & talk

  • “I wanted to say thank you so much for the wonderful day you led today at Knepp. I feel really privileged to have been able to join and to experience your wonderful facilitation and leadership of the event. It gave me a lot to think about – but also was a great opportunity for me to step into a different head (and body) space.”

    -Pasca Lane, Movement Builder at the British Red Cross, Not for profit Director, Coach and Mentor

  • “I left the day with renewed energy and a sense of purpose.  I loved the connections, the nature, the questions  we had to think about. A heartfelt thank you for a wonderful day of reflection, inspiration and connection.”

    -Sophia Angelis (She/Her), Strategic Marketing Leader

  • “Thank you so much for holding the space. It was a joyful experience where you created intimate spaces within a huge open space and guided us through some thoughtful provocations. Thank you for giving us that space - I feel more alive to what’s going on around me today and It was a pleasure to connect with so many interesting people.”

    - Liz Walker, Executive Coach and Facilitator

  • Thank youso very much for a wonderful experience at Knepp Estate yesterday.

    I’m beyond grateful for: having experienced this magical place, which totally set the right tone for our experience; the incredible people you are – alongside the quality of people you bring together for these Walking Partnerships; the progress I & we made yesterday through our quality conversations during the walk

    I loved it - all of it, and plan to spend my weekend reflecting on all the valuable food for thought I took away from the day.

    - Nina Holdaway, Managing Director, Accenture