Thousands of walking paths across the UK have been charted for enhanced accessibility.
A New Walking Movement Gains Momentum in Great Britain
A groundbreaking initiative, the Slow Ways project, is set to revolutionize walking culture in Great Britain. The project, launched in 2020, is spearheaded by Daniel Raven-Ellison, its chief executive and founder [1].
The Slow Ways initiative aims to create a national network of walking routes, connecting all towns, cities, and thousands of villages across the nation. This ambitious project encourages people to walk further and more frequently, making walking a more accessible and attractive mode of travel and recreation [2][5].
The project offers a website and an app, providing users with mapped walking routes. As of now, the app has already mapped out over 144,000 km of walks, linking over 2,500 towns and cities across the country [3]. The app provides information about the accessibility of routes, including wheelchair accessibility, presence of animals, and cleanliness of routes [4].
To make the outdoors more inclusive, Slow Ways focuses on connecting urban and rural areas, engaging thousands of volunteers, and providing practical information about the routes. The project strives to make rural hiking accessible to a diverse demographic, including people with disabilities, parents with children, and older adults [2].
The Slow Ways project is an entirely democratic process, involving volunteer walkers and their feedback. The initiative "Give a Hike" is currently soliciting volunteers to review walking routes for the Slow Ways app in Great Britain [6]. The app currently offers 7,699 routes in England, 1,510 in Wales, and 854 in Scotland [7].
Raven-Ellison emphasizes the importance of addressing factors that can be off-putting to inexperienced or challenged walkers. He believes that increased footfall on some hiking routes will contribute to their maintenance, as neglect and overgrowth can make routes more inaccessible [8].
The Slow Ways project is more than just a collection of walking routes. It's a movement for change, as demonstrated by a video on the Slow Ways beta website, which calls for more walk reviewers [9]. The project aims to provide a sense of security and confidence to millions of people, offering psychological benefits in addition to physical ones [1].
In the words of Raven-Ellison, these routes provide a sense of psychological security and confidence for millions of people, making walking a natural, accessible form of travel and recreation throughout Great Britain.
[1] https://www.slowways.uk/about [2] https://www.slowways.uk/our-approach [3] https://www.slowways.uk/routes [4] https://www.slowways.uk/accessibility [5] https://www.slowways.uk/about/benefits [6] https://www.slowways.uk/get-involved [7] https://www.slowways.uk/routes/all [8] https://www.slowways.uk/why-it-matters [9] https://www.slowways.uk/beta/videos/2021/03/09/slow-ways-beta-launch-video
- Engaging thousands of volunteers, the Slow Ways project is inviting them to review walking routes as part of the "Give a Hike" initiative, contributing to the maintenance and accessibility of nature trails for diverse demographics, including people with disabilities, parents with children, and older adults.
- To promote a healthier lifestyle, the Slow Ways movement encourages outdoor-living and hiking, offering practical information about eco-friendly nature walks that cater to a variety of skill levels and preferences, thereby making walking a natural, accessible form of travel and recreation throughout Great Britain.
- In addition to physical benefits, the Slow Ways project aims to provide a sense of psychological security and confidence to millions of people, fostering a connection with nature and promoting the home-and-garden lifestyle by making walking a more attractive mode of travel and recreation.
