UKSPF project: Ramblers Community Outreach (North Wales)

Project lead: Ramblers Cymru

Project overview

Ramblers Cymru will build on the successful Paths to Wellbeing project, bringing walking and volunteering to a wider audience, and reaching communities with high levels of deprivation and those facing additional barriers to walking and the outdoors. Through targeted consultation and collaboration, Ramblers Cymru will develop a bespoke plan for each community, fully involving the whole community and local partners.

Ramblers Cymru will engage communities and empower local people to be more active in, and proud of, their local places. Using local walking routes as a catalyst, Ramblers Cymru upskills volunteers to improve pathways and increase access to green spaces, as well as creating and promoting new routes, which will increase awareness of local walking opportunities and participation.

Together with the community Ramblers Cymru will audit the existing path network, assess the local need and level of access to paths. Ramblers Cymru will provide training for both self-guided walks, with navigation and map reading, and our Walk Leadership Training enables volunteers to deliver led walks. Ramblers Cymru uses activity days to engage the community which includes themed led walks and improvements to the path network.

Project updates

March 2024

In the initial stages of the project 158 people were involved in consultation activity and a launch event took place in each community area. The information gathered formed the basis of activity that has happened since then and work that is planned.

55km of footpath was surveyed with issues logged and a footfall counter was placed in each community to gather data. Some of these issues have since been resolved. Ongoing discussions are happening about others.

Seven community guided walks have been carried out ranging from Children in Need Charity events to Mince pie walks. These have been attended by 61 participants. Several wildlife walks are planned for upcoming months working with partners (North Wales Wildlife Trust, Clocaenog Red Squirrel Trust, Denbighshire Active & vale of Clwyd MIND)

Youth engagement projects have just started with an evening with Carrog Scouts in Corwen. Other sessions are planned with Ysgol Tremeirchion, Ysgol Bro Dyfrdwy, and St Brigids School. Links with the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Young Rangers have been made, looking at a joint event in the autumn.

Footpath clearance to date has involved working with Tremeirchion Forest Church group to clear an impassable section of path at Sodom Covert and working with the walking group in Llandrillo to clear some overgrown stiles near Felin Caravan Park. Other work is being discussed with DCC ROW team, AONB team and relevant landowners and will commence when permission is obtained from all parties.