North East CEO to take on Great Wall of China charity trek

Nichole Munro, of Atomix Educational Trust, will take on the challenge in October  to raise funds for Daisy Chain, a Teesside-based charity supporting people with autism and neurodiversity.

Ms Munro said: “The life-changing support that Daisy Chain provides to neurodivergent people matters to me personally and when I can’t help people through my role as CEO at Atomix, I really do try to help other causes.

Nichole Munro in training in more casual attire (Image: Supplied)

“I love the fact that Daisy Chain provides safe spaces and so many activities which are a lifeline for many families across Teesside.

“It’s wonderful to see the difference support makes to people and I understand how life-changing it can be.”

Atomix Educational Trust works with young people who have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), many of whom are neurodivergent.

Nichole Munro in training in more casual attire (Image: Supplied)

The trust has chosen Daisy Chain as its charity of the year for 2026.

Ms Munro described the trek as both “exciting and slightly intimidating.”

She said: “The Great Wall of China can be seen from outer space and is 1,000 miles long – and I will be walking 200 miles of that, so I have got to get fit for it.

Nichole Munro in training in more casual attire (Image: Supplied)

“It’s not the tourist’s route that we are taking, it will be steep and uneven terrain we are navigating over multiple days, in both humid and colder temperatures – but even so I said ‘yes’ to the challenge because autism and neurodiversity is so close to my heart.”

She said she is determined to complete the trek and not let down the charity or herself.

Atomix Educational Trust aims to raise £5,000 through Ms Munro’s trek, with all funds going directly to Daisy Chain’s services.

She said: “Although £5,000 sounds like an awful lot of money, everyone can help by giving even a small amount, as all those little donations add up very quickly.

“I’m getting ready for this, as I don’t want to let myself down by being unable to complete the walk, so I’m going to start running again and to improve my fitness I’ve started to do Calisthenics for 15 minutes every day.

“There is a lot of effort that I’m going to have to put into this challenge throughout the summer!”

The trust allows staff up to three volunteering days per year, something Ms Munro says is a “huge commitment” for a small organisation but one that aligns with its values.

She said: “With more than 200 students with EHCPs within our Trust, with a mixture of neurodivergence and every kind of need that you can possibly imagine, we also live and breathe the sort of support other organisations like Daisy Chain provide every single day.

“As a Trust, we strive to enable everybody to achieve success – whatever that might look like to them – because success looks different to everybody.

“That’s why myself and my colleagues and students within the Trust are delighted to support Daisy Chain through this challenge – because what they do really resonates with us.”

Daisy Chain supports more than 8,000 autistic and neurodivergent people and their families across the Tees Valley.

Its services include social clubs, respite care, wellbeing support, independent living skills training, employability programmes and animal therapy.

Daisy Chain’s Great Wall of China Charity Trek in October will see Ms Munro and other supporters take on one of the world’s most iconic routes, covering steep, uneven ground in changing weather conditions.

To support Ms Munro’s fundraising challenge for Daisy Chain, donations can be made at https://daisychainsglobalstepschallenge.enthuse.com/pf/nichole-plummer.