It has been a few busy months for the Coast Path Connectors Project. In April, we started training volunteers – starting online initially, with over 25 new volunteers attending our first sessions. We are looking forward to the next steps of this which will see some on-the-Path training taking place in June with our trainers from Pied a Terre. We also welcomed Stuart as Project Officer for our new hub in Torbay, and as the weather has been getting warmer, it has been an ideal time for projects to get started. Here’s an update from the hubs:
Cornwall Hub
May has been an exciting month at the CPC Cornwall hub, with plenty of walks and groups hitting the trail for the first time. We started the month with a misty Penrose to Porthleven walk with St Petrocs, with a group of 14 humans and 2 dogs covering the 5 mile stretch followed by refreshments in the harbour.
Over the Coronation weekend we also provided walks around Trebah and Pendennis Headland. A weekend that saw over 25 walk participants and 5 Coast Path Connectors Volunteers. We started our Penzance Open Walks, which saw a group take on the Coast Path between Penzance and Mousehole, making friends and memories along the way.
Jack, Cornwall Project Officer says: “After a couple of months planning and communicating with some wonderful support organisations, May really seems to have been the month that it has started to come together. It has been great to get to know our volunteers who are so excited about sharing their passion of the path with these groups.”
For any Cornwall CPC enquiries, email Jack at: jack@southwestcoastpath.org.uk.
Torbay Hub
Torbay now has a Coast Path Connectors Project Officer in post, and Stuart has spent his first month busily meeting community contacts, organisations and potential volunteers across the bay. Torbay has a strong community sector and initial discussions suggest a great deal of support for bespoke, accessible and supported walking groups. A volunteer ‘walk and talk’ is being held on June 6th to enable potential volunteers to meet and enjoy a walk together. Initial conversations are underway with groups that might potentially become walking group hosts, and it is hoped that the first regular groups will begin relatively shortly. For any Torbay CPC enquiries, email Stuart directly at: stuart@southwestcoastpath.org.uk.
Plymouth Hub
Despite some questionable weather in April, Spring has been a busy period for the project in Plymouth. We have worked with four different community groups to deliver regular walks to destinations around Plymouth Sound, such as Jennycliff and Mount Edgecombe Country Park. These locations are a perfect introduction to the Coast Path as they are close to the city and easily accessible using public transport. However, once there, you feel a million miles away from the city- perfect!
During May, we had a particularly interesting and sunny walk around Sutton Harbour, exploring the local heritage with a group of adults with hearing loss, in collaboration with Sensory Solutions. With support from a British Sign Language interpreter, we were able to dive into the fascinating history that links the city with the sea and discover the many remnants of the harbour’s industrial past. The heritage trail is a great example of a local route with a lot to offer.
I’m very much looking forward to some warmer weather over the next couple of months when we will welcome an additional two new community groups to the project to explore the beautiful coastline around Plymouth.
For any Plymouth CPC enquiries, email Gemma at: gemma@southwestcoastpath.org.uk.
North Devon Hub
In North Devon, we have started 2 new projects in May. The first walk consisted of a short gentle stroll to Wrafton Pond, was planned in partnership with the Braunton Countryside Centre and Live Well in Braunton, and is part of a programme of walking and nature activities. The weather was perfect for visiting Wrafton Pond and although the aim was to do a bit of birdwatching most participants just enjoyed being out in the sun. We hoped to spot over 25 different species of bird but Wrafton Pond and Braunton Marshes were fairly quiet with only a few Mute Swans (six signets), Mallards and Moorhens. We stopped for a cup of tea at the Quay café and made our way back to the Countryside Centre. All participants enjoyed their walk and looked forward to the next walk around Crowe Point. Thanks to volunteer Nick for helping with the walk.
Our second project’s walk was planned in partnership with the Women First Project, a partnership between Encompass (Barnstaple), North Devon Against Domestic Abuse and Mind in Somerset. The walk was a gentle stroll from Fremington Quay to Yelland and back. The weather was perfect and all participants enjoyed the walk although there was a lot of cyclists about. On the return we discussed where to walk next and after a lot of suggestions it was agreed that it should end with a Hockings Ice cream at Instow. After tea and cake at Fremington Quay café the group plan to walk around Isley Marsh near Instow. Thanks to volunteer Susanna for assisting with the walk.
For any North Devon CPC enquiries, email Huw at: huw@southwestcoastpath.org.uk.
For more information about the Coast Path Connectors project, please visit:
www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/coast-path-connectors
The South West Coast Path 