With
a successful meeting already held in Hay on Wye, two more public meetings are
planned for Talgarth and Crickhowell to discuss the new walking status and to
rally local support – the first of which will be held at 6.30pm on Monday 5th
March in the Talgarth Town Hall.
With
funding support from the Welsh Government, the EU and LEADER, Bannau Brycheiniog
National Park Authority is involved in the wider ‘Walkers are Welcome’ Welsh
and English cross border project which locally will focus on the work of the
three popular tourist towns of Hay on Wye, Talgarth and Crickhowell. It
is hoped that if successful the Black Mountains area will benefit from a
welcome boost in the local economy, successfully contribute to the tourism
industry and improve the quality of local access and footpath maintenance for
residents, walkers and visitors.
There
are currently 70 towns and villages across the UK that have signed up to the
community-led scheme which aims to strengthen a town’s reputation as a place
for visitors to come and enjoy the great outdoors. Before a town or
village can become accredited it must demonstrate that it has the backing of
their local community and meet a number of criteria, such as collecting
signatures of support, forming a steering group and securing the support
of their local town council.
Trish
Doree, Information Officer for the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority
said: “This exciting initiative aims to establish Talgarth as a top
destination for walkers and visitors to stay and strengthen Hay-on-Wye’s and
Crickhowell’s strong walking reputation, whilst raising the profile of all
three. With successful projects like the Witches Pool Challenge and the newly
restored Talgarth Mill already increasing visitor numbers, this project could
see Talgarth on the map as a ‘must-see’ destination and stop over.”
“The
meetings are open to anyone with an interest in their local community, but may
especially appeal to keen walkers and businesses linked to walking,
accommodation, tourism and hospitality.”
Talgarth’s
meeting takes place on Monday 5 March in the Town Hall at 6.30pm and
Crickhowell’s meeting takes place on Tuesday 20 March in The Bear Hotel at 7pm.
-ENDS-