AN outdoor enthusiast who is well-known for his adventures in Northumberland National Park has been named as an Ordnance Survey GetOutside champion.

David Wilson, from Newcastle, has taken on a number of challenges, including walking the length of Northumberland National Park non-stop, walking the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall and volunteering to use the Google trekker in the National Park to capture imagery for Google’s Street View service.

Last year, he created his own ‘Walk in the Park’ challenge, aimed at helping more people to get outside and connect with nature. Its overwhelming success prompted David to quit his job in financial services and set up Experience Northumberland.

This aims to deliver mostly outdoor experiences across the county, ranging from guided walks and tours to tailored challenges for local charities and groups.

David was one of 30 champions across the country chosen by Ordnance Survey, the national mapping agency, for a new project to help make Great Britain a more outdoorsy and adventurous nation.

David and his fellow GetOutside champions were unveiled at an event in the New Forest, where they were joined by TV presenter and adventurer Ben Fogle and endurance adventurer Sean Conway.

David said: “By stripping back what adventure really means, I want to challenge the status quo and make the outdoors accessible to everyone.

“People can enjoy the outdoors with minimum funds, expertise or resource. Adventure isn’t just about the fastest unsupported trip to the South Pole or scaling unclimbed peaks – these are great achievements, but they aren’t for everyone.

“Adventure should be defined by the individual and it can truly be found in the everyday.”

This year, David plans to take on a new challenge by completing a lap of the county of over 300 miles, taking in coast and country.

The champions, chosen for their ability to communicate their love for being outside, include journalists, bloggers and authors who write about their adventures in Britain.

They have been given exclusive early access to OS products and will take part in product trials.