The Solent Way runs for 60 miles along the entire coastline of Hampshire and enables walkers and other users to explore this beautiful area, which includes the New Forest National Park, two cities and a huge number of protected landscapes and environments.
In January 2015, The Conservation Volunteers was awarded a grant of £360,000 to employ a team of five unemployed people, plus a project leader, to improve access along the route and promote its sustainable use.
Over the next two years and working in partnership with Hampshire County Council and other local authorities and landowners, the team and at least 80 volunteers will receive accredited training and hands-on experience, to better equip them to find further employment or conservation volunteering opportunities once the project has ended.
In doing this, they will enable more people to enjoy Hampshire’s coastline, who in turn support the many local businesses that rely on visitors to the area to thrive. Working locally, this project will help The Conservation Volunteers to improve people’s health, prospects and outdoor spaces in the long-term.
This project has been made possible with the support of the Coast Communities Fund. The Coastal Communities Fund is funded by the Government with income from the Crown Estate’s marine assets. It is delivered by the Big Lottery Fund on behalf of UK Government and the Devolved Administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.