IT was hugs all round, and a few tears, when a group of eight Exmoor mothers taking on the epic challenge of walking over 90 miles around the National Park boundary in four days, crossed the Porlock Weir finishing line on Sunday evening (March 22), to cheers and applause from friends and family.

The Moorland Mums suffered blisters, aching muscles and exhaustion as they tackled a gruelling succession of steep climbs, twisting coastal paths and 5,000 metres of elevation, to raise over £11,000 for eight Moorland Federation village schools.

“None of us had done anything like this before,” said one of the organisers, Jasmine Willford from Wheddon Cross.

“We averaged 24 miles a day and spent the nights at Combe Martin, Molland, and Roadwater.

“A lot of the route was really hard, but it was all about giving something back to our brilliant schools which offer so much despite small budgets and limited resources.

“This cause means so much to us and to the next generation of West Somerset.

“The walk was really physically demanding with 5 am starts and the second day was particularly hard, with a lot of road work and some of us really struggled.

“Blisters were a problem, but we kept going and got there in the end and we do feel proud of what we have done and all the planning and hard training was worth it.

“We had wonderful support and a lot of people, including teachers from the schools, walked some of the way with us.

“Now, it’s back to work - it’s a busy time on the farms, with calving and lambing.”

Moorland Federation executive headteacher Naomi Philp said: "The realities of school funding can limit the extent of additional enrichment opportunities and so these funds will mean a huge amount to our schools.

"This generous fund-raising will enable us to further enhance STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) resources and create additional opportunities in eco-education, sport and the arts.

"We are incredibly thankful for all they have achieved and the lasting difference their support will make for our children.”

Emma Luxton, from Brompton Regis, said: "We just wanted to give back to the schools - my children love going there.

"There's two sets of Lego-coding equipment that go round the schools so we need more, and at Porlock School we're looking at a sports event and some new science equipment."

The Moorland Mums previously raised nearly £6,000 towards new science and technology equipment, plus over £9,700 for Cutcombe First School’s swimming pool upgrade, by competing in the Three Peaks Challenge in 2024.

The team, who still have their eyes on an ultimate fund-raising target of £15,000, said they were grateful to families and friends who joined them for the final two kilometres to the finish line, to their dedicated support crew and to sponsors and donors ‘whose generosity will have a significant impact on the next generation of children living and working on Exmoor’.

There is still time to donate by visiting www.gofundme.com/f/moorland-mums.