Inspirational volunteer encourages people across Northern Ireland to take on charity walk to help feed hungry children

Ann Curry will take part in her 14th 'Step by Step' challenge to raise funds for school feeding charity Mary's Meals.

An incredible Enniskillen woman who is taking on an epic 160km walk for charity to help feed hungry children across the world is encouraging others to follow in her footsteps.  

Ann Curry, 63, is walking from Enniskillen to Knock Shrine, County Mayo, in an impressive journey for the annual Step By Step challenge. This is part of a series of walks across Ireland from 28 July to 15 August, covering over 200km, to raise funds for international school feeding charity Mary’s Meals. 

Mary’s Meals, founded in a shed in the Scottish Highlands in 2002, provides school meals to more than three million children in some of the world's poorest communities in 16 countries, including Ethiopia, Lebanon and Zambia. The promise of a daily meal encourages children into the classroom, where they gain an education and hope for a brighter future.

Ann, who has volunteered for the charity since 2004, is taking on the Step By Step route for the 14th year and is looking forward to tackling the challenge again. She begins the legendary journey on Friday, 7 August and will cross the finish line on Saturday, 15 August, hoping her efforts can inspire more people to get involved.

She says: “I am feeling great about walking to Knock and can’t believe it’s come round again so quickly. I was already volunteering for Mary’s Meals when the walks first started about 14 years ago and I’ve taken part every year since.”

Ann explains her motivation for taking on the walk and adds: “I’m passionate about the children that need to be fed and educated daily, and Mary’s Meals can provide a meal every school day for less than £20 a year per child.”

By taking part in Step By Step, people can help the charity reach more children like eleven-year-old Roger, from Madagascar. He lives in an isolated community, where food production is difficult and poverty is prevalent. This means he often struggles with hunger at home, and his one-hour walk to school is exhausting. 

Since the introduction of Mary’s Meals, Roger has noticed a huge change in his life. He explains: “What has changed in me since the school feeding, is that I am not hungry at school and I can focus during class.” 

To follow in Ann’s footsteps and help Mary’s Meals reach more children like Roger, people can sign up for the walks by registering on the charity's website. There are different walk lengths on multiple days, to suit varying levels of fitness and interest. Whether you’re walking the entire route or just taking part in a single leg, everyone is welcome. 

“It is a challenge but because it’s broken down to 10 miles a day, it’s manageable and I’d encourage anyone to join me for a day, a mile or the whole route. It brings in a huge amount of money for the charity every year and it’s so worthwhile because it makes a tangible difference to the children’s lives,” encourages Ann.

Caoimhe McCann, Regional Development Officer for Mary’s Meals in Northern Ireland, says: “We are so grateful to Ann for taking part in Step By Step for another year. Her unwavering commitment to helping hungry children around the world is truly inspiring!

“We would love for more people to join us in the Step By Step challenge. It’s a fantastic way to get outdoors, meet some new friends and help raise money for a great cause in the process! It costs Mary’s Meals just £19.15 to feed a hungry child for a whole school year, which is just 10p per meal. Any donation makes a real difference.”

To sign up for Step By Step, please visit www.marysmeals.org.uk/step. To donate to Ann's fundraiser, please visit www.marysmeals.org.uk/ann-curry-fundraiser-2026. To find out more about Mary's Meals, please visit www.marysmeals.org.uk.