Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Money for neglected pathways
An area in North Lanarkshire is to be significantly upgraded as Scotland’s walking charity has awarded two grants totalling £3000 to a volunteerled community improvement project.
Northern Corridor Community Volunteers ( NCCVols) has scooped the grants from Paths for All in recognition of their efforts to reconnect communities separated by neglected pathways.
Residents f rom Gartcosh, Chryston, Moodiesburn, Muirhead and Mount Ellen have installed signposts along the local path network and are working to reopen an unstable core path on land at a local golf club.
The group meet weekly to decide on their next project and will be carrying out maintenance work throughout the winter to regenerate more forgotten paths in the area.
C l a i re Wi l l i a m s , volunteer and fundraising officer at NCCVols, said: “It’s fantastic to have such amazing support from our funders and the volunteers, who have really outdone themselves in their efforts for our community pathways.
“Seeing it all come together in such a positive way has been fantastic and we really could not have achieved all that we’ve done so far without the amazing support we have received from Paths for All.
“We’d love to have more people in our community get involved – we’ve volunteering opportunities to suit everyone, and particularly want to hear from people who have faced barriers in getting involved in community projects in the past.”
As the project progresses, the public is being invited to keep up to date with the improvements and to thank the group for their work by using the hashtag #KnowYourRoutes.
Ian Findlay, chief officer at Paths for All, said: “Carrying out and organising the upkeep of such large areas can be logistically and physically challenging, so NCCVols really does deserve a round of applause.
“The work that the group is doing has far more than local value – it’ll have a big impact on improving the physical, mental and social health of society.
“Having safe and clear local areas is so important when it comes to keeping us active and connecting with nature and our community.
“Upgraded paths really build on community spirit as they’re more frequently used by commuters, dog walkers, joggers, children playing and people enjoying the simple but very important pleasure of just going for a walk.”
Paths for All has awarded £ 90,000 worth of grants to 48 groups across Scotland, who will transform neglected parts of their local path networks in the coming months.