I am the Founder and CEO of Slow Ways, an audacious initiative to create a network of walking routes that connect all of Great Britain’s towns, cities and national parks.
Using existing footpaths, people will be able to use the Slow Ways to walk or wheel between neighbouring places or daisy-chain routes for long distance journeys.
This is a giant citizen-geography initiative that has multiple benefits. Slow Ways is not just a walking and wheeling network – it’s a network for joy, health, wellbeing, creativity, enriching communities, connecting people to nature and heritage, mitigating the climate crisis, saving people money, spreading investment, inspiring ideas and so much more.
During lockdown 700 volunteers from across the country collaborated to produce a first draft of the Slow Ways. While COVID-19 forced millions of us to stay at home and indoors, that didn’t stopped us from being coming together to be collaborative, imaginative and creative.
Since then, Slow Ways has gone from strength to strength – with thousands of people from across Great Britain contributing. So far people have drawn and shared 9,000 possible Slow Ways routes. The big challenge now is to walk, review, verify and survey the routes.
It’s already possible to walk from Brighton to Cardiff and Manchester to Worcester on verified Slow Ways. The ambition is for people to be able to walk on trustworthy routes between any two towns in the country.
In 2020 I set up Slow Ways CIC, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company). We’re grateful to have received early support from the Kestrelman Trust, Paths for All and the Pilgrims Trust. We have since been fortunate to receive seven years of funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.
This critical support has enabled us to grow a strong team that’s making Slow Ways flourish.
Slow Ways CIC is highly collaborative, working with people, groups and organisations across Great Britain. As well as working with volunteers to develop the walking network through the website, we’re creating stories, partnering to offer led walks, publishing printed maps with Urban Good CIC and so much more.
We’d love your help to make Slow Ways a success.
Why not get involved?
Find out more here.