We coordinated two schemes for volunteers to help manage paths across the Cairngorms National Park area. The schemes were run via the website OutdoorCairngorms.co.uk
Managing the maintenance of paths has proved to be a conundrum where capital funds are available to build or repair paths but it is almost impossible to find the revenue to pay for maintenance. The two schemes run by the Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust aimed to make the limited funds go further by working with volunteers to help monitor and maintain paths.
Our role has been to set up systems to help volunteers to report on the condition of paths; recruit and train volunteers, and provide information to COAT so that the maintenance programme can be done cost effectively.
- The Cairngorms Adopt-a-Path Scheme (CAPS) allows individuals or clubs to adopt one or more mountain paths within the Cairngorms National Park and was developed with help from the North East Mountain Trust.
- The Cairngorms Access Networks Volunteer Scheme (CANVaS) operates in six communities across the Cairngorms National Park area with local residents monitoring the path networks around their community.
The website worked as a 'portal' that we designed to allow volunteers to upload reports on the condition of paths and submit photos. It contains some fairly complex programming in order to keep it relatively simple for the volunteers to use.