Dont Lose Your Way - Volunteer Advisory Board

Volunteer Advisory Board

The Volunteer Advisory Board brings together experienced volunteers to advise and support Don’t Lose Your Way to help ensure that the project delivers tangible benefits to those working to restore historic rights of way. The advisory board meets approximately every two months.

See below for updates following the advisory board meetings:

September 2018

At the last meeting of the advisory board the following areas were discussed:

• The next steps for the project, as we go beyond the scoping phase into implementation. The recommendations from stage one of the project were discussed. These recommendations, which were review and agreed by the advisory board, were prioritised and the risk and opportunities were identified.
• The advisory board were thanked for their invaluable input into the scoping phase of the project, without which the stage one recommendations would not be as detailed or focused on volunteer need.

June 2018

The third meeting of the advisory board discussed:

• How a Ramblers approach to the prioritisation of paths could be made into a practical policy which researchers could easily use. The advisory board agreed that this policy should be tightly aligned with other Ramblers guidance.
• A new web resource which brings together all available online sources for making historical rights of way applications. This resource, available on the Ramblers website, sets out helpful national/general sources and also local sources sorted by local authority. The advisory board suggested some addition links to be added to this page.
• The proposed creation of a digital hub which would bring together everything related to the fight to save historical rights of way including:
  • Identifying lost rights of way
  • Sharing documentation between volunteers
  • A module which would guide volunteers through making an application
  • Training, guidance and support (including peer-to-peer support)

April 2018

At their second meeting in late April the advisory board:

• Discussed a proposed approach to the prioritisation of paths to be researched. Having an agreed approach to prioritisation is intended to guide Ramblers Areas on which paths they can focus on in their research. The advisory board discussed prioritising routes which will create a better network, paths in areas which are likely to see significant development and links with the Coastal Path, National Trails and areas of access land. In addition the board considered how prioritisation links up with issues identified in the local authorities Rights of Way Improvement Plan (RoWIP) and how we can create a safer network for walkers. An agreed approach to prioritisation is expected to be published in June.
• Reviewed the preliminary results of a survey undertaken to gauge the level of Don’t Lose Your Way activity across England and Wales. These results highlighted that volunteer recruitment, training and guidance are key issues for Ramblers Areas.
• Discussed how Information Technology could be used to support volunteers working on the restoration of historic rights of way.

March 2018

The first meeting of the advisory board established how the group would work to effectively support the Don’t Lose Your Way project. In March the advisory board:

• Reviewed the project themes, objectives and scope.
• Clarified that the project is primarily aimed at supporting volunteers in England and Wales (with the exception of Inner London which does not have the requirement for a definitive map).
• Discussed which organisations the Ramblers would like to work with in restoring historic rights of way.
• Reviewed a plan to survey all Ramblers Areas to understand current levels of Don’t Lose Your Way activity.
• Discussed how the Ramblers can support volunteers after they have submitted an application to a local authority to register a historic right of way.