Wonder Wander is our annual awareness and fundraising campaign. By walking and talking across the UK, we bring the benefits of philosophical enquiry to new communities each year.
Annual Campaign
Wonder Wander
Wonder Wander 2026
Book to join the Wonder Wander in Oxford, donate a question, or bring Wonder Wander to your own city or university (sponsorship packs available!)
Wonder Wander 2024: Funding free after-school philosophy clubs
In autumn 2024, our Co-Directors embarked on a fundraising challenge that tested both their physical and philosophical endurance. Neither a sponsored walk, nor a sponsored talk, this was the inaugural Wonder Wander
Fueled by questions donated by children, parents, teachers, philosophers, educationalists and public figures, they walked and walked until they had talks about every one of them. And for added dignity, and in recognition of the fact that Thoughtful is a women-led organisation, they spent the whole day dressed as Wonder Woman.
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters who donated cash as well as questions, the Wonder Wander raised enough money to fund four after-school philosophy clubs in schools across the UK.
We believe that every child should have the opportunity to engage in philosophical enquiry—to explore big questions, think critically and have their voice heard. As National Education Union General Secretary Daniel Kebede argued in a Guardian article, philosophy should be available to all young people, not just a privileged few, much like Union Chief Daniel Kebede states in this Guardian article.
Wonder Wander 2025: Funding online philosophy classes for care-experienced young people
In 2025 Grace, Emma and Maria took the challenge to London for an Urban Wonder Wander, whilst groups over the UK ran their own wanderings in Derbyshire led by Rosie, Devon, led by Laura and Southampton, led by Emma Leeson.
With questions donated by broadcaster and journalist Ritula Shah and Olympian Kriss Akabusi among many others, as well as generous cash donations, we raised money to be able to run philosophy sessions with children in care, enabling them to build social, cognitive and affective skills to support their learning and lives.
In 2022/23, there were approximately 107,000 children in care across the UK; the population of children in care in the UK has increased by 8% over the last five years. Many children in care have experienced abuse, neglect or other forms of trauma. For example, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children have often experienced and witnessed severely distressing circumstances and events, either in their home country or during their journey to the UK.
These experiences can leave children with complex emotional and mental health needs, which can increase their vulnerability to ongoing and future cycles of abuse and disadvantage. When children in care are compared with children who have not been in care, they tend to have poorer outcomes in a number of areas, such as educational attainment and mental and physical health.
While being among those for whom the learning and social-emotional benefits of taking part in philosophical enquiry can be the greatest, the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children in our neighbourhoods and communities can also be those who are the least likely to take part in philosophical thinking and speaking in their day to day lives, or in teaching and learning settings- missing the opportunity to have creative, caring and collaborative conversations in the home, and often experiencing disrupted education, and fewer extracurricular activities. We are passionate about improving the life chances of some of the most overlooked children, by extending the experience of philosophical learning, thinking and being as widely as possible.
Thank you to everyone who took part and donated questions and money to make it possible for us to work with a group of care-experienced children for a term.
