Ramblers volunteer efforts amount to £500,000 equivalent over 30 years
Public Rights of Way volunteers have donated the equivalent of over £500,000 worth of time after 30 years of volunteering effort. Initially the idea of Aberystwyth Ramblers members, the weekly work parties have long become well established across Ceredigion.
In the early 1990s Mal Evans, and a few other members of Aberystwyth Ramblers, were so concerned about the state of some local paths that they decided to try to repair dilapidated stiles. After undertaking some repair work, they approached Ceredigion County Council’s Rights of Way Team with an offer of help. The Council’s Rangers agreed to see if it would be possible to work with volunteers and, on 19 October 1994, Rangers John Deans and Nigel Nicholas led a small Working Party of Aberystwyth Ramblers volunteers in erecting a stile at Rhyd Tir near Bow Street.
The success of this small beginning was to lead to the formation of the Ceredigion Rights of Way Volunteers. Each of the three Rangers responsible for maintenance of the 2500 km of footpaths and bridleways across Ceredigion, can call on the regular help of small teams of volunteers with links to the Rambers groups in Aberystwyth, Lampeter and Cardigan respectively. The Rangers deal with access permissions and logistics, the Council provides the tools while the volunteers do much of the work, under the supervision of the Ranger. With each Work Party going out most weeks of the year, a long succession of volunteers have learned skills such as installing self-closing gates and building bridges, pioneer clearance, installing steps and cut and fill techniques.
An early project involved improving a route to link the youth hostels at Borth and Ystumtuen. This path was eventually extended by the Council to form the Borth to Pontrhydfendigaid Way. The volunteers played a key role in creating the Ceredigion Coast Path, including developing some completely new stretches of path, along what is now a section of the Wales Coast Path. When EU funding became available, the Work Parties were instrumental in upgrading footpaths and bridleways as part of the ‘Paths for People’ and ‘Ceredigion on Horseback’ projects.
Councillor Clive Davies, Ceredigion’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration, said: “I’ve long known that volunteers make a substantial contribution to the maintenance of Public Rights of Way across Ceredigion. To learn exactly how far back this goes, some of the major projects they’ve been involved in and what their efforts equate to, is staggering.”
To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the partnership, a walk to Rhyd Tir is being planned jointly by the Ceredigion Council Rights of Way Team and Aberystwyth Ramblers for Tuesday 22 October 2024. Everyone with a connection to the Work Parties, past and present, is invited to attend. Get in touch with the Rights of Way Team know if you plan to attend by calling 01545 570881 or emailing clic@ceredigion.gov.uk.