Nominee Summary
Established in 2012, The Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Countryside Trust is a registered Scottish Charity and a company limited by guarantee. The Trust is an environmental, and health and wellbeing charity, which aims to support and enhance the wellbeing and resilience in landscapes, communities and people. Working predominantly within the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, they work with a wide range of partners to deliver projects, encourage participation, and collaborate with others to address the biodiversity and climate emergencies, and to create more sustainable, healthy and active communities, places and partnerships.
Overcoming Challenges
Communicating activities and events to differing community groups and stakeholders. Overcoming funding issues. But overall the trust has been successful in engaging with a wide range of participants and should be proud of the impact they have had on people's lives and their health.
Supporting the community
Walk in the Park – Led principally by trained local volunteers, Walk in the Park encompasses a programme of weekly health walks in 6 communities, supporting physical, mental and social wellbeing, and weekly strength and balance sessions in 4 local communities to build confidence and mobility. It also encompasses ‘In Step with Nature’, a project centred on noticing nature and the seasonal changes as means to encourage connections with nature. The Trust works closely with health and social care professionals to enable referrals from patients living in remote, rural communities, where there is no easy access to other services. Active Travel – Active in the Park focusses on delivering pop up behaviour change activities to encourage walking, wheeling and cycling as part of everyday journeys. Activities include working with communities to develop Active Travel Plans, loan of ebikes to local residents, bike maintenance training sessoins, ‘have a go’ events and supporting community led cycle rides. It has also established a ‘Cyclists Welcome Scheme’ to promote and work with businesses who are going the extra mile to welcome cyclists to their premises.
Ethical/environmental standards
Wider community engagement – the wider community work focusses on bringing communities together, working with them to develop plans and work collectively. The trust provides monthly e-bulletins to all local communities and provides support and advice on a wide range of issues.