Date posted: 07/03/2019
Anna Firth is District Councillor in Sevenoaks, and a barrister. She is tackling the issue of loneliness in her local and wider community, by bringing together input from councils and GP surgeries. She developed the award-winning scheme, known as Every Step Counts.
This scheme has spread from Kent into Medway. Fully trained walk leaders have motivated over 100 people to walk every week, which enhances their physical wellbeing and boosts their confidence, with no cost to the NHS. It is now nationally accredited, and has featured regularly on TV and radio.
She has also co-founded a ground-breaking campaign in schools to improve youth mental health and internet safety, thus influencing school policy, policing policy and local authority safeguarding policy.