A Machynlleth woman just days away from starting a gruelling 17-day walk through Wales has said she is looking forward to visiting a range of different communities.

Katie Hastings will be one of the people in Wales taking part in the Big Lunch community walk which will start on Friday and end with Katie hosting a special lunch at Y Plas in Machynlleth on 1 June.

Katie, a member of Edible Mach Maethlon, will join other walkers on the Big Lunch community walk and along the way will visit communities across Wales celebrating the positive impact neighbourhood activities can have.

She said: “It means a lot to me to represent Wales on the Big Lunch community walk.

“I hope to bring enthusiasm for the 17 days and show how the power of a community can make a massive difference.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting other groups of people and being inspired by the work they are doing to strengthen their own communities.”

Lowri Jenkins, the Wales manager for the Big Lunch, said: “It’s fantastic that Katie is joining us this year to walk around Welsh communities.

“She is incredibly passionate about bring people together and putting food at the heart of starting new conversations.

“We’re looking forward to joining some of our wonderful Big Lunchers while out on the road, some of whom have been lunching with their communities since we started 10 years ago, as well as those newbies who are hosting their very first lunch.”