Meet our line-up
Zainab Houghton @zainab_in_the_lakes
The outdoors was never something that interested me until I moved to the Lake District, and even then it took a good few years for me to appreciate and enjoy it. I first began running to socialise and make friends and eventually it has become part of my life. I use it as a therapy really. No matter how low or bad I feel, even just a few miles in the fresh air and beautiful scenery, does wonders for the soul. I have two sons with plenty of energy so this helps me keep up with them too!
Sonny Peart – Founder of Black Trail Runners
Sonny Peart is a trail and ultrarunner. This year he will run the 125km Highland Ultra and the 235 mile Deadwater six day ultramarathon. He co-founded Black Trail Runners in July 2020, aiming to increase the participation, inclusion and representation of black people in trail running.
Find out more:
https://www.instagram.com/blacktrailrunners/
https://www.instagram.com/runnysonny/
https://www.strava.com/clubs/blacktrailrunners
https://www.facebook.com/groups/273210547440261
https://twitter.com/RunnersBlack
https://twitter.com/thewoodeno
Helena Craig @OfficialBlack2Nature
Since retiring I spend my spare time birding, supporting my 17-year-old daughter Mya-Rose Craig (@birdgirluk) in her conservation and diversity projects such as Black2Nature, Race Equality in Nature Conferences, nature camps for Visible Minority Ethnic children and teenagers (Camp Chew & Camp Avalon). I help her campaign to make the environmental sector ethnically diverse.
I have been interested in equality, diversity and inclusion since my teens, being on the Bristol Law Society Race Equality Team, Stand Against Racism and Inequality (SARI) Management Committee and succeeding in making my firm ethnically diverse.
Zahrah Mahmood @the_hillwalking_hijabi
Zahrah Mahmood (know as @the_hillwalking_hijabi on Instagram) is a Scottish Pakistani Muslim woman who discovered the outdoors and a passion for hillwalking in her adult life. She enjoys hillwalking in the Scottish outdoors and finds it brings her physical, mental and spiritual benefits.
Cherelle Harding @steppers_uk

Richard Leafe – Chief Executive
Richard joined the Lake District National Park Authority as Chief Executive in June 2007. Previously he was Regional Director in the North West for Natural England, a role he took up in October 2006. Richard worked for one of Natural England’s predecessors, English Nature, for 15 years.
Richard is a Geography graduate from The University of Sheffield where he also gained an MPhil in Coastal Geomorphology. In 2016 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters for his work in National Parks by the same university. A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, away from work Richard is a keen, runner, cyclist and skier. From September 2012 to 2015 Richard was a Board Member for the Environment Agency.