The Paths for All Partnership and the community land unit at Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) have organised an access information day to be held in Newtonmore on Monday the 12th December (2005). 

With help from HIE, the Paths for all Partnership has set up a Community Support project to help communities develop well designed, managed and promoted path networks for walkers, horseriders and cyclists of all ages and abilities.

Since 2003 the project has been building capability within community groups across the area so they can plan, develop and implement access projects confidently and successfully. 

Training events have been carried out on a regional and local basis while distribution of support and advice to community groups covering all aspects of community access projects is on-going.

The programme planned for Newtonmore will appeal to landowners/managers and prospective managers, those already involved with access initiatives in their local areas and also those who may be thinking of improving the access resource within their locality.

There will be a range of speakers covering the broad range of benefits that access can bring, new access legislation and liability issues and how the provision of recreation can be built into estate management. 

There will be the opportunity to talk and walk on the Wildcat Trail, and a presentation on the recently completed Culag Woods project at Lochinver, two contrasting community led and managed initiatives.

Sources of help, advice and training for communities will be explored, with queries and input being encouraged throughout the whole programme. 

There will be speakers from the Crown Estate, the Great Glen Way, the Cairngorm National Park Authority, the Community Land Unit of HIE, the Culag Woods project, Newtonmore Wildcat Trail and the Paths for All Partnership.

The event is part of the Community Land Unit skills development programme, funded by HIE, and a trans-regional grant from three LEADER+ programmes - North Highland LEADER +, Western Isles and Skye LEADER+ and the Lochaber and Argyll WHELK programme.

Cath Clark, development officer with the Paths for All Partnership, said: "Many groups across the Highlands and Islands are already developing path networks around their communities. 

"The reasons for doing so are compelling, path networks can boost local tourism and economic activity; contribute to the social network in the community; provide a valuable recreational resource; improve people's health and well-being and allow people to get from A to B more sustainably."

The Paths for All Partnership website www.pathsforall.org.uk provides written advice through publications, factsheets and newsletters, and specific queries can be posted onto the discussion forum.

For further information on the Newtonmore event or the training and advice that the Paths For All Partnership can offer, please email: info@pathsforall.org.uk or call 0845 453 4210.