OUTER HEBRIDES COUNTRYSIDE TRUST

FEASIBILITY STUDY

JUNE 2015

Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

CONTENTS

pages

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2

2. INTRODUCTION 7

3. OVERVIEW OF COUNTRYSIDE TRUSTS 8

4. CONSULATION FINDINGS 20

5. PROPOSED ROLE AND RESOURCES 26

6. LEGAL STRUCTURE AND MEMBERSHIP 34

7. BUDGET AND SOURCES OF FUNDING 39

Appendices:

1. Sample Charitable Objectives of a Countryside Trust 45

2. Summary of OHCT proposed programme 46

Accompanying reports:

1. Report of the Survey

2. Notes from the stakeholder meetings

STAR Development Group 1 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction

1. This study was commissioned by CnES and SNH to explore the feasibility of establishing a Countryside Trust for the Outer Hebrides. It is set in the context of the need for CnES and SNH to find a more sustainable partnership mechanism for working together with other key stakeholders to deliver and maintain projects of environmental, economic and community benefit to local communities.

Overview of other Countryside Trusts

2. Six Trusts were reviewed as part of this study – Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust, Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust, Arran Access Trust, Argyll Coast and Countryside Trust and the Loch Lomond & Trossachs Countryside Trust.

3. All of these Countryside Trusts are incorporated charitable organisations. Models for membership and Board of Directors vary. Some Trusts are more closely linked to their funding partners and others are more open and inclusive. Boards often comprise a mix of funding partners, other stakeholder interests, and geographical representation.

4. The role of Countryside Trusts includes developing and managing access projects, environmental preservation and enhancement, promotion and marketing of environmental assets, encouraging use of the countryside for health and recreation, developing training and volunteering opportunities linked to the environment, and helping to raise funds for a wide range of access and environmental projects.

5. They are core funded and supported typically by a group of partners who want to work together to make the most of the local environment. Core funding partners include local authorities, Scottish National Heritage, Forestry Commission, Scottish Enterprise, NHS, and some Charitable Trusts.

6. Core funding usually pays for senior Trust staff members with additional staff being funded through project funding. This has given them the capacity to raise project funding.

7. The Trusts have a good track record in developing, and attracting funds for, large scale environmental projects as well as supporting local groups with their own environmental work. They are also working to develop sustainable strategies to maintain paths – which combine innovative funding, volunteers, training initiatives and employment opportunities. We have highlighted a number of these approaches in the report.

8. Increasingly Trusts seek to raise income to support their work from other sources – including membership, donations, sale of merchandise and services, events and sponsorship, visitor payback schemes, social enterprises, and renewables benefit funds.

STAR Development Group 2 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

9. Sustainability depends on this mix of core and project funding and income generation rather than on any one source of funding. Public sector funders continue to support the Trusts in recognition of the benefits that derive from the success of the Trusts in raising external funding for environmental projects and in generating income from other sources. As a result core funding becomes a smaller part of overall turnover – and this can usually be evidenced within the first year or two of Trust trading.

Consultation and key findings

10. The consultation for this feasibility study included:

 A questionnaire  A series of consultation events  One to one meetings with some key stakeholders

11. The consultation was targeted at stakeholders including land managers, recreation and environmental organisations, tourism related businesses, community and voluntary organisations, and the public sector. It was also promoted and advertised through local media so that other interested parties could participate.

12. In total around 100 people/organisations participated (a full list is in the Appendix to this report).

13. The main findings of the consultation were as follows:

 The large majority of respondents (79% of survey respondents) were in favour of establishing a Countryside Trust – with only 2 out of 78 survey responses not in favour of setting up the Trust.  It was recognised that there was a need for a partnership body that could coordinate, develop and promote environmental projects across the Outer Hebrides.  The main priority for the Trust should be the maintenance, development and promotion of the Hebridean Way.  It was seen as vital to make sure the Hebridean Way was a success and that social and economic benefits were realised.  The Trust should be set up as an independent charitable organisation with an inclusive membership and be able to work across the Outer Hebrides.  That the Trust should receive core funding to enable it to appoint staff to fulfil its roles and have the capacity to generate project and other income.  That is should be operated in a way that it can serve all the islands – having a base in both the Uists & Barra and Lewis & Harris.  It will be essential for the Trust to work in partnership with existing organisations and not compete with them.

Proposed Role

14. While other Countryside Trusts now engage in a wide range of activities it was recognised that they all started with a clear focus. It is recommended –taking account of both the research and the feedback from the consultation – that the Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust should focus initially on making the most of the Hebridean Way.

STAR Development Group 3 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

15. This should include:

 Maintaining and developing strong links with and ‘buy in’ from landmanagers along the routes to ensure a shared sense of ownership of the Hebridean Way.  Working with landmanagers, communities, voluntary organisations, training organisations and local businesses to establish paths maintenance teams that have a mix of volunteers, trainees, project officers, and local contractors.  Involvement and work with recreational, wildlife and tourism businesses and communities to ensure they are able to maximise their benefit from the Hebridean Way and provide services to users of the Hebridean Way.  Developing interpretation and educational opportunities along the Way that provide information on local land use, natural and cultural heritage, and community and crofting life.  Promotion of the Hebridean Way to visitors, land managers, recreation businesses, communities and local people.  Encouraging and supporting events and activities that make use of the Way  Encouraging local use of the Hebridean Way for recreation, functional access, education and health.  Developing income generation to support the maintenance of the Hebridean Way

16. It will be important for the Trust to work closely with the Outer Hebrides Tourism (CIC) in the promotion of the Hebridean Way and in ensuring that existing and new tourism businesses are supported to make the most of the opportunities that the Hebridean Way offers. Similarly the Trust and Outer Hebrides Tourism should work together to look at ways of encouraging visitor contributions to help maintain and develop the Hebridean Way.

Staffing

17. It is recommended that the Trust appoint a senior officer. Their role would include:

 Developing governance and partnerships  Promotion and Participation  Project development  Business and strategic planning  Securing funding and establishing income generation initiatives

18. It is recommended that the Trust should also appoint 2 Hebridean Way Paths Officers. Their role would include:

 Encouraging volunteering and establishing an Adopt a Path scheme for the Hebridean Way  Encouraging local use through work with schools, NHS, communities.  Developing and implementing a maintenance programme and supporting the work of paths project teams.  Developing the Hebridean Way to enhance the visitor and user experience and to maximise its social and economic benefits.

19. The Trust will need to be able to operate across the Outer Hebrides and it is likely that it will need to have staff and structures that allow it to work effectively in Uists & Barra, and Lewis & Harris.

STAR Development Group 4 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

Legal Structure and Membership

20. The Trust should be established as a Charitable Company Limited By Guarantee or as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). All other Countryside Trusts have set up as incorporated charitable bodies and this has served them well in being able to attract a range of funding from public, charitable and private sector funders.

21. It is recommended – following research and consultation – that the membership of the Trust should be inclusive of stakeholders rather than just its funding partners. It is thought that it will work best if it is a genuine independent organisation with strong connections through membership with land managers, tourism businesses, community and voluntary organisations, as well as public sector organisations.

22. Membership should therefore be inclusive of:

 Land managers, owners and tenants that provide public access on their land for recreation, health, and education.  Community and voluntary organisations involved in environment enhancement, recreational activities and community development  Recreation and tourism businesses that rely on access to the land  Public sector organisations.

23. The members would appoint a Board of Directors/Trustees that would manage the Trust on behalf of its members.

24. In addition to its membership and Board we would recommend that The Trust:

 Establishes 2 Area Networks for members – one for Uists & Barra and one for Lewis & Harris.  a Friends of the Trust (or Friends of the Hebridean Way) that would be open to users of the Hebridean Way to join and to those that want to support the Trust and contribute to the upkeep of the Hebridean Way.  an Advisory Body that meets with the Board to support its work.

Budget and Sources of Funding

Financial model

25. The Trust will require a mixed financial model that includes core funding from key partners, project funding, and income generation.

26. It is recommended that core funding is provided initially for a 3 year period. This would give the Trust the capacity to generate project funding and income from other sources. It is recommended that key partners should ideally include CnES, SNH, HIE and maybe also NHS.

Core resources and costs

27. The study recognises that to fulfil its roles the Trust would benefit from having the following resources:

 1 senior officer (salary £25K - £30K)  2 Hebridean Way Paths Officers (salary £18K - £25K)

STAR Development Group 5 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

28. There is a decision to be made about which of these posts are funded from core funds provided by public sector partners and which are funded through project funds that are applied for to external funders (with help from local match funding).

29. If all posts are core funded then we estimate that the costs of a three year core funded programme would be:

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 £123,400 £108,676 £110,488

30. Further core funding for the Trust beyond the first 3 years should be considered and take account of the success of the Trust in generating significant project funding and establishing other income streams. As noted other Trusts receive ongoing core funding in recognition of the value of this investment in terms of the benefits and external funding generated.

Project Costs

31. Early project development and funding bids should focus on the development of a Paths Project Team and a volunteer Adopt a Path Scheme. The Paths Project Team should include a paths skills training programme. Other Trusts have had success in developing similar schemes which aim to provide volunteering, training, employment and enterprise opportunities linked to paths maintenance and improvements.

32. Consideration should also be given to providing initial funding for a small project fund. This would allow the Trust to operate while it is in the process of developing and establishing project proposals and applying for external funding.

Income generation

33. The Trust should take steps to develop a number of ways of developing other sources of income including establishing a Friends of the Hebridean Way, inviting donations and sponsorship, developing a visitor payback scheme (with support from Outer Hebrides Tourism), running events, and seeking contributions from renewable energy developers.

STAR Development Group 6 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 This study has been commissioned by Comhairle nan Eileen Siar (CnES) in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to investigate the feasibility of establishing a Countryside Trust in the Outer Hebrides.

1.2 The proposal recognises that CnES and SNH need to find a more sustainable partnership mechanism for working together with other key stakeholders to deliver and maintain projects of environmental, economic and community benefit to local communities. It is thought that an independent organisation like a Countryside Trust may be better placed to attract external funding.

1.3 It is recognized that there may be a wide role for the Trust to play in supporting the delivery of outdoor access, marine, coastal and biodiversity projects across the Outer Hebrides. A range of aspirations was identified in the brief – and one of the purposes of the study has been to consider and test through stakeholder consultation which activities the Trust should undertake.

1.4 In particular there is a desire to investigate a sustainable mechanism for the ongoing maintenance of the Hebridean Way. It is recognized that the Hebridean Way has significant potential to contribute to economic development and tourism in the Outer Hebrides but that this will require the ability to maintain, develop and promote this important asset. A Trust working closely alongside Outer Hebrides Tourism (CIC) could help deliver the potential for nature based tourism and maximize benefits to tourism businesses and the wider economy.

1.5 The Trust could also offer a partnership vehicle for delivering other strategic objectives linked to the Community Plan and Single Outcome Agreements (e.g. by offering local communities opportunities for improving health through physical activity)

1.6 The aims of the study are in broad terms to ascertain the feasibility of establishing the Trust and this should include determining the demand for the Trust, identifying its role, making recommendations on how it would operate, providing guidance on its structure and governance, and advising on its funding and a sustainable financial model.

1.7 As required in the brief the study has included stakeholder engagement with public, private and third sector bodies (including community groups) to gauge support and demand for the establishment of the proposed Trust and advise on its potential role and other aspects of its development and operation.

1.8 This report documents the findings of the feasibility study and includes:

 An overview of other countryside trusts  A summary of the results of stakeholder consultation  Recommendations on the role for the trust and staffing requirements  Recommendations on the governance of the proposed Trust  Guidelines for budgets and funding

STAR Development Group 7 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

2. OVERVIEW OF OTHER COUNTRYSIDE TRUSTS

2.1 The proposal for this study recognised that there was a need to develop better partnership mechanisms for environmental projects in the Outer Hebrides.

2.2 It was identified that Countryside Trusts had been set up in other parts of Scotland as partnership organisations and had a good track record in developing and managing a range of environmental projects.

2.3 We have therefore reviewed 6 Trusts in Scotland to assist in guiding decisions about the Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust:

 Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust (PKCT)  Fife Coast and Countryside Trust (FCCT)  Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust (ACT)  Loch Lomond & Trossachs Countryside Trust (Trust in the Park)  Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust (COAT)  Arran Access Trust (AAT)

2.4 Trusts in Fife (2000), Perth and Kinross (1997) Arran (1999) and Cairngorms (2008) are longer established, while the Trusts in Loch Lomond & Trossachs (2012) and Argyll (2013) are recently established within the last 3 years.

2.5 This section takes a look at their legal structures (including membership and board of directors), their role, their staffing and their funding.

Organisation

Legal structure

2.6 All trusts are established as charitable companies limited by guarantee with the exception of ACT which is set up as a SCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation). This means they are all established as incorporated charitable bodies.

2.7 This gives the Trusts the advantages of being able to apply for charitable funding and having limited liability protection for the Board of Directors/Trustees. This is seen by the Trusts as an important factor in successfully attracting significant project funding.

2.8 Typical charitable objectives for a Trust are included in Appendix 1 to assist with the drawing up of a constitution for an Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust.

2.9 Some Trusts have also gone on to establish ‘trading subsidiary companies’ to sit alongside the charitable body e.g. Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust has a trading subsidiary ‘COAT Trading Ltd.’ which offers consultancy services on a contract basis. Argyll Coast and Countryside Trust has recently established a Social Enterprise ‘ ACT Argyll Ltd’ which will ‘deliver environmental and maintenance contracts while offering training and skills opportunities’.

Membership

2.10 All the Trusts are membership organisations but their approach to membership varies:

 Fife Coast and Countryside Trust has only one member (Fife Council).

STAR Development Group 8 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

 Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust includes all its main partners as members (Perth and Kinross Council, Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission Scotland, Gannochy Trust)  Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust has a wide membership open to ‘all adults living in Argyll and Bute’ and they charge a membership fee of £5 per annum.  Arran Access Trust links membership closely to stakeholder interests (see case study box below).

Boards of Directors/Trustees

2.11 Board of Directors/Trustees also vary in terms of how they are elected and the logic for selection.

 ACT has 8 Board members 1 from each funding partner body (Forestry Commission, NHS, SNH, ABC) and then 1 community representative from each of the 4 legislative areas of Argyll and Bute.

 PKCT has board members from funders – Perth and Kinross Council, Gannochy Trust, Scottish Enterprise, SNH, Forestry Commission - and then from representatives (1 each) of different stakeholder interests (landmanagers, tourism, community, recreation).

 FCCT has 4 member directors appointed by Fife Council, 3 partner directors (SNH, Forestry Commission, Keeping Scotland Beautiful) and 7 independent directors selected for their specialist skills and experience.

 Trust in the Park - trustees (of the SCIO) are drawn from their partners (National Park, RSPB, Paths for All, Forestry Commission, and SNH).

STAR Development Group 9 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

Membership and Board of Directors of Arran Access Trust

Membership categories

Community and users

Recreation users and f/t residents dependent on people having access to land on Arran

Members in this category will appoint three Directors

Access providers

Organisation or individual who owns, tenants or manages land on which there is regular public access.

Members in this category will appoint three Directors

Public Sector

Any public organisation whose remit includes an interest in access.

Scottish Natural Heritage and North Ayrshire Council will each nominate one Director.

Annual membership fees:

Private Individuals: £10.00, Voluntary organisations, interest groups & businesses: £25.00,Public Agencies: £125.00

Advisory Groups

2.12 It is interesting to note that both the Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust and the Argyll Coast and Countryside Trust have both established Advisory Groups to work with the Board. This means that while these Trusts are independent bodies they are still connected to a range of support organisations that can advise and help them access services and support and link to strategic plans, policies and initiatives. The ACT board meet with their Advisory Group once a quarter.

Organisation - thinking about an Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

2.13 What we have learnt from this part of the review:

 In talking to the Trusts most of them emphasise the importance of being independent non political organisations, being a good way of partners working together, and the advantages of charitable status.  Establish as an incorporated charitable body (either as a company limited by guarantee or a SCIO).  Advantages of charitable status noted included their ability to attract charitable funding, greater interest and buy in from volunteers and businesses,

STAR Development Group 10 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

rates relief on property and the ability to invest funds not immediately required for the Trust’s activities.  Ensure accounts are prepared by someone with experience of accountancy for charities – and are clear about the difference between restricted and unrestricted income.  Think carefully about membership – there are a range of options – some imply tight control by a few organisations, some are more open, and some are more shaped around stakeholders.  Think through how the membership elects and/or appoints the Board of Directors/trustees. This could involve including key partners, ensuring there is good geographical representation as well as making sure there is a good cross section of stakeholder interests and expertise.  Consider establishing an Advisory Group to sit alongside the Board/Trustees of the Trust. It means that the Trust is independent but still well connected to people and organisations that can help it get things done.  There may also be advantage at some point in the Trust establishing subsidiary companies for trading purposes.

Main roles

2.14 Looking across the work of the Trusts it is possible to identify five main strands of activity

 Developing and managing access projects – including long distance paths, strategic routes and community paths networks

 Protecting and improving the natural and cultural heritage

 Developing volunteer, training, and job opportunities linked to the environment and access.

 Promoting environmental assets and access and encouraging responsible use and enjoyment of the countryside

 Securing funding and generating income to increase the areas ability to deliver these activities and their associated environmental, social and economic benefits. (This is considered in detail in the final part of this section)

Developing and managing access projects

2.15 This is a key role and all the Trusts are involved in this in one way or another:

 FCCT was initially established to promote and develop the Fife Coastal Path and this is still a major part of their work. They are also now helping to establish a new long distance path across Fife – The Fife Pilgrim Trail.

 The development, management, maintenance and promotion of the Cateran circular long distance route is one of the main activities of the Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust. The Trust also work with local communities to

STAR Development Group 11 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

help them develop access projects where they fit with their overall strategic objectives.

 Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust’s main aim is to promote sustainable public access across the Cairngorms National Park ‘integrating the needs of landmanagers, access users, and local communities while conserving and protecting natural heritage.’ Their work on access includes the Cairngorms Mountain Heritage Project a four year £2.1 M capital project to repair 94 km of upland mountain paths across the west Cairngorms.

FCCT and the Fife Pilgrims Way

FCCT are currently involved in developing a new 70km long distance route – the Fife Pilgrim Way – from Culross to St. Andrews. The route will link together existing paths, rights of way and tracks. The route is being developed by FCCT (in the lead) in partnership with Fife Council, the Scottish Pilgrim Routes Forum, the Fife Tourism Partnership and Forth Pilgrim.

‘The Fife Pilgrim Way is an exciting new heritage project that seeks to engage the support of local people and visitors in developing a new long distance walking route through the heart of Fife….. To deliver a successful project, the route requires local community support. We want to foster the active involvement of communities, heritage groups, churches, businesses and estates in shaping the project and understanding how they can contribute to making the Pilgrim Way a sustainable long term success. (FCCT)

Protecting and improving natural and cultural heritage

2.16 Trusts are able to work at scale to foster coordinated approaches to improving the environment as well as working to add capacity to local initiatives. Examples of this role include:

 Argyll Coast and Countryside Trust and the Loch Lomond & Trossachs Countryside Trust both have the aim of tackling invasive species and help work with landmanagers on coordinated approaches.

 Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust and Fife Coast and Countryside Trust have taken the lead in working with strategic and local partners to develop Landscape Partnership Projects (Tay Landscape Partnership and the Living Lomonds Landscape Partnership).

STAR Development Group 12 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

Developing volunteer, training, and job opportunities

2.17 Trusts have a good track record in being able to develop and coordinate a mix of resources (volunteers, trainees, staff, and funds) to play a role in improving and maintaining paths and other environmental assets.

 COAT run volunteer schemes to maintain paths – CAPS (Cairngorms Adopt a Path Scheme). Their scheme for upland paths encourages local individuals or groups to adopt a path. Adopters are trained to undertake minor maintenance, and their role includes checking and reporting on paths conditions. This provides early information on maintenance issues and means COAT can effectively target money spent on maintenance and get best value from paths contractors. The scheme is supported by SNH and Heritage Lottery Fund.  COAT established a 3 year funded Path Skills Training Project offering skills training and SVQ accreditation. It was funded by ESF grant with match funding from SNH, Cairngorms National Park Authority and Highland Council. Trainees qualify from the course with an SVQ level 2 in Environmental Conservation and some trainees have gone on to work on COAT path projects or other similar work and some have set up their own businesses.  Arran Access Trust established a Paths Project Team in 2014 with funding from Coastal Communities Fund, North Ayrshire Council, Visit Arran (Arran Trust) and Forestry Commission Scotland. This has funded a project coordinator and 3 strong footpath team (including trainees) to improve sections of the Arran Coastal Way. Funds will also pay for some contractor time and for improvements to signage and interpretation.

 ACT (working with Dunbritton Housing Association) has recently received funding from the Scottish Government People and Communities fund to establish a Project Team as a social enterprise trading within ACT. This will give the Trust the capacity to improve and maintain paths using a mix of trainees, volunteers, project supervisors and 1 manager’s post.

Argyll Coast and Countryside Trust: ACT Project Team

ACT Project Team is a social enterprise trading within ACT charity which will be ready for implementation by early summer 2015. There will be teams based in Oban and Helensburgh delivering access and environmental projects and practical work around social housing developments. ACT has worked with West Highland Housing Association, Dunbritton Housing Association, the Employability Teams, SNH, FCS and Argyll and Bute Council to develop the proposal which from the outset will provide work placements for 4 x environmental assistants (which can be taken up by apprentices, volunteers and long term unemployed), provide 4 x 12-month trainee placements plus 2 supervisors and 1 x manager post.

The model is designed to become self-sufficient over three years, and build towards establishing additional units across Argyll and Bute. ACT Project Teams are being incorporated as an element in other Argyll and Bute Council funding projects, including Economic Development’s European Social Fund bid

STAR Development Group 13 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

Promoting environmental assets and access and encouraging responsible use and enjoyment of the countryside

2.18 Trusts play a significant role in promoting environmental assets through websites and other mechanisms. They also encourage use through a variety of schemes that aim to encourage wider use and enjoyment of paths and countryside. Examples include:

 PKCT have developed and manage their own website as well as one for the Cateran Trail and support its use for events. They help to organise the annual event (YOMP) along the Cateran Trail.  FCCT developed and manage the website for the Fife Coastal Path in addition to their own website.  Trusts support and organise events and activities e.g. ACT Summer Walks Programmes and Geocaching and Trust in the Park’s ‘Walk in the Park’ programme.  COAT and other Trusts have Walking to Health Initiatives to encourage local use of paths and deliver health benefits

Roles and projects – thinking about the Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

2.19 What we have learnt from this part of the review:

 Start small and focused  Ability of the Trusts to develop area wide projects, work at scale, and coordinate the work of a number of partners.  There are good examples of the ability of Trusts to develop projects which taken together provide a package of resources (volunteers, trainees, paid staff, contractors) to carry out path improvements and maintenance.  The ability to grow over time and take on more projects – but the need to make sure these have a strong strategic rationale that plays to the Trust’s strengths.

COATs integrated approach

COAT offers an interesting model of an integrated approach to path maintenance as they in effect combine a number of schemes to fund and deliver paths maintenance:

 Car Parks and Donations as a source of income for maintenance. Including a recent public appeal for donations for upland path maintenance.  Adopt a Path scheme to enlist volunteers and to attract dedicated funding to skill up volunteers and provide funds for contractors to carry out repairs as part of the scheme.  Their training programme in path skills provides trainees and staff that can help with maintenance.  Larger targeted programmes to carry out major repairs and reduce ongoing maintenance costs (e.g. Cairngorms Mountain Heritage Project)

STAR Development Group 14 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

Staffing and operations

2.20 Trusts have a mix of core staff and project staff. New Trusts like Argyll Coast and Countryside Trust (ACT) and Loch Lomond & Trossachs Countryside Trust were set up with 1 post initially with core funding from key partners. The ACT post was filled by someone seconded from Argyll and Bute Council.

2.21 Older trusts have been able to build up their staff compliment over time. For example:

 PKCT started with one post and now have four staff – Manager, Strategic Routes Officer, Community and Grants Officer, and Projects and Awareness Officer.  COAT started with one post and now has a CEO, Senior Access Project Officer, Training Officer (project funded), Administrator, Working to Health Coordinator (project funded), Adopt a Path Coordinator (project funded), and Footpath Contract Supervisor (project funded).

Staffing and operations – thinking about the Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

2.22 What we have learnt:

 Typically Trusts start off with a small staff compliment that are core funded  Staff numbers grow mainly through project funding  Staff are sometimes seconded from other partner organisations  Staff are often based in partners offices (SNH, Council, National Park Authority etc) but sometimes are based in their own offices (e.g. Fife).  COAT is a good example of a Trust that has split its staff between two offices to provide cover in two distinct parts of their area of benefit.

Funding

2.23 Trusts funding comes from a mix of sources but can be considered under three main headings:

 Core funding from key partners – (often the champions for the Trust)  External project funding from a wide variety of funders  Income generation

2.24 Trusts emphasise the importance of this mix of funding. Core funding is seen as crucial for the sustainability of Trusts as it gives them the capacity and ability to seek project funding. Income generation is also seen as vital is as it is often these small amounts of funding that can be used to trigger and unlock larger funds and be used for activities that are difficult to find other funding for.

‘It is vital that COAT has a clear way to raise income, for provision of maintenance as well as to pump-prime external grants in partner projects’

Core Funding

2.25 Trusts main core costs are usually funded by partner agencies – e.g. local authority and Scottish Natural Heritage. Other public sector funding partners have included NHS (ACT), Scottish Enterprise (Perth and Kinross, FCCT), Forestry Commission (ACT, Trust in the Park and PKCT). STAR Development Group 15 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

2.26 PKCT receives annual support from the Gannochy Trust. Latest accounts for PKCT show total income of £446,068 of which £120K came from the Gannochy Trust – now their largest core funder.

2.27 At the outset of their lives Trusts will often receive 3 year core funding to enable them to get on their feet:

 Trust in the Park received a three year commitment to annual core costs of £55K (£40 from the National Park, £10K from SNH, £5K from Forestry Commission).  ACT received three year funding from four partners Argyll and Bute Council, SNH, Forestry Commission and the NHS.

2.28 Trusts continue to receive core funding from partner agencies in recognition of the social, economic and environmental benefits they provide and their ability to bring in funding from other sources.

Costs in kind

2.29 Countryside Trust offices are often located within public sector offices and absorbed as a contribution in kind towards core costs. ACT and PKCT are based in Council offices, Trust in the Park is based in National Park offices. FFCT has its own premises.

2.30 Trust in the Park estimate a cost in kind contribution of over £14K a year and which includes office, admin support and specialist services (HR/IT/Legal) as well as costs of Board Meetings.

Project funding

2.31 Trusts secure additional funding for specific projects from a wide variety of funders including Lottery Funds and Charitable Funders. They have had significant success in attracting large scale funds. Examples include:

 The COAT Cairngorms Mountain Heritage Project – a 4 year £2.1 M capital project to repair 94km of upland mountain paths across the west Cairngorms. Funding comes from HLF, ERDF, CNP, SNH, HIE, RSPB, Scottish Mountaineering Trust.

 PKCT Heritage and Access Project which attracted £1.8M and was supported by The Heritage Lottery Fund; Perth & Kinross Council; Forestry Commission Scotland; Scottish Natural Heritage; Scottish Enterprise Tayside; PKCT; Rural Tayside Leader +; Gannochy Trust and Perth & Kinross Quality of Life Trust.

 PKCT working in association with the Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust to set up the Tay Landscape Partnership which has attracted almost £1.5M of Heritage Lottery Funds.

 FCCT took the lead in developing the Living Lomond’s Landscape Partnership and securing £1.7M funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

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Income Generation

2.32 Trusts increasingly seek to raise funds and income from businesses, individuals and groups – beyond the public and charitable sector. Examples of different types of income generation initiatives are shown below.

Friends of the Trust

2.33 ACT and FCCT offer the opportunity for people to join Friends Of groups as a way of supporting their activities. FCCT charges for Friends of membership are £15 for an individual, £25 for a couple, £30 for a family, £50 for a group.

Business sponsorship

2.34 FCCT operate the Big Green Footprint Scheme for businesses to either provide funding or to provide volunteer opportunities for their staff. The scheme invites businesses to support FCCT and the Fife Coastal Path through:  Making cash donations  Volunteering (corporate groups)  Fundraising e.g. through organising a ‘challenge event, encouraging staff to walk cycle or run in the great outdoors in support of Fife Coast and Countryside Trust’  Sponsorship Packages e.g. sponsoring an event, or committing to longer term sponsorship of a stretch of the Fife Coastal Path.

Donations

2.35 Trusts offer the opportunity through their websites for people/organisations to make donations. Donations are often augmented by Gift Aid.

 FCCT invite either one off or monthly regular donations. Sometimes donations are specifically targeted to projects e.g. to extend the Fife Coastal Path. Guidance for donations can be linked to specific maintenance tasks (e.g. ‘£75 will help us replace damaged signage or repair damaged paths’). FCCT operate their donations through the Just Giving Website and encourage individual sponsorship - ‘ I am running the Great Wall of China Marathon for FCCT’  COAT Donations page on their website emphasises the importance of contributing to repair and maintenance costs and provides some guidelines e.g. ‘ just £5 a month could maintain more than 200 meters of mountain path a year’……..‘We need your donations to ensure our environment is protected for the future. COAT currently spends up to £1/2m per year restoring mountain footpaths of which £52,000 per year is spent maintaining our 145 km mountain network.’

Celebration and Commemoration Programme

2.36 FCCT offers the opportunity to mark celebrations or commemorations through tree planting or benches (e.g. £300 for trees, Benches £900-£1,200)

Bed Night Tax - Visitor Payback

2.37 PKCT established the Big Tree Country Scheme in 2008 with Gleneagles Hotel whereby visitors to the hotel could agree to make a voluntary contribution by adding

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£1 to their bill. Gleneagles guests have now contributed over £200K to enable PKCT to improve access and the environment. The scheme now generates around £49K a year from Gleneagles and the Dunkeld Hilton.

2.38 Arran Access Trust receives £3K per year from a £1 a bed night charge added by accommodation providers. The visitor payback scheme is organised by the Arran Trust and raises funds for other environmental and heritage projects as well as for the Access Trust).

Event Funding

2.39 Events are often held on long distance routes to raise funds for charity. Some of the event organisers then donate funds back to maintain the Trail. The Alliance Trust Cateran Yomp event donates over £2,500 to PKCT and has supported improvements on the Trail e.g. self closing gates, and improved fencing.

Online Shop Merchandise

2.40 COAT sell T shirts, maps etc through their website as another income generating mechanism. ‘Welcome to the Cairngorms Outdoor Access online shop every penny raised goes toward the overall access work across the area’.

Consultancy

2.41 COAT offer their services on a consultancy basis as another means of generating income.

Charging for Infrastructure

2.42 COAT lease and manage two car parks with charges going to maintain the car parks and fund path repairs and other access improvements in the area. ‘ Our agreement with Balmoral Estate to allow COAT to charge for parking at Spittal Of Glenmuick is a vital aspect of COAT’s business model, and one of the few ways that users of paths can directly contribute to path maintenance in Scotland. (COAT Annual Report 2008/9)

Looking for other forms of income

2.43 Trusts (as are other organisations involved in the maintenance of long distance routes) are investigating how they may be able to secure more long term income and in particular are investigating the potential for benefit funding from renewables.

 ACT has written to all renewables developers asking if they could contribute to ACT. ACT is also one of four bodies listed in the “Review of the Argyll and Bute Guidance on Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy” as a potential recipient of regional funds.  Trust in the Park are hoping in the future to secure income from local development planning conditions.

Funding and a financial model – thinking about the Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust

2.44 What we have learnt from this part of the review:

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 Core funding from key partners is vital in supporting a sustainable trust. It provides the capacity which then allows the trust to be able to generate significant funding for environmental projects.  Most Trust’s have grown over the years making their reliance on core funding a smaller percentage of their overall income.  Trusts are increasingly looking at ways to generate income in addition to core funding from partners and project funding from grant sources.  Income generation is still a relatively low (but growing) percentage of Trust’s overall budget but its significance is often greater than the amount - as generated income can help to fund tasks like path maintenance which is often difficult to fund from the other sources. It can also be used as a ‘match funding’ contribution and help to unlock larger project grants.

Summary

2.45 Trusts have been successful in developing a wide range of environmental projects and their role as independent, partnership organisations with charitable status offers a good model for the Outer Hebrides.

2.46 They have however relied on continued core funding from a small group of partners and require this core support to give them the capacity to be successful in developing and managing projects. Trusts would be unlikely to be sustainable if they relied solely on external project funding and their income generation initiatives are currently still only a relatively small (but important and growing) contribution to their overall turnover.

2.47 However they do offer a mechanism for sharing core costs among partners; the percentage of their core costs to turnover tends to diminish over time (as they succeed in developing projects and raising income); they provide a strong focus for environmental improvement and a good vehicle for partnership working, and their independence and charitable status mean they are able to attract volunteers, partners, and external funding.

2.48 They are also working to develop sustainable strategies to maintain paths – which combine innovative funding, volunteers, training and employment opportunities and enterprise development. We have highlighted a number of these initiatives above.

2.49. Trusts can therefore be viewed as being more sustainable than an approach that is solely dependent on local authority funding – particularly in light of public sector cuts.

COAT are a good example of a Trust that has gone from strength to strength with income growing from just over £200K in 2008 to a turnover in 2013 of £1.47M.

‘The growth in COAT over the years since 2008 has been strong, and perhaps is counterintuitive to the backdrop of public sector cuts that the austerity drive has required since 2008. Perhaps this is when the value of partnership working through a Charity such as ours really comes to the fore? Dougie Baird (CEO) - September 2013

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3. CONSULTATION FINDINGS

Overview of consultation process

3.1 Consultation to inform this feasibility study included:

 A survey sent to all stakeholders  A series of 4 consultation meetings  Some face to face interviews with key stakeholders

Stakeholder survey

3.2 The survey was designed and sent to a list of stakeholders drawn up by CnES and SNH. They included landmanagers, community and voluntary sector organisations, local tourism businesses, recreation and environmental organisations, and public agencies. The survey was advertised in the local press and stakeholders were invited to pass on the questionnaire to other people and organisations that might have an interest in the study.

3.3 Questions in the survey sought to elicit responses and views on:

 the potential roles for the Trust and its priorities  whether their was support for establishing the Trust  what the likely benefits of establishing a Trust might be  whether there were any concerns about its establishment  how the Trust should operate (staffing, location etc)  its governance  sources of funding and income.

Series of Consultation Meetings

3.4 Four stakeholder meetings were arranged and advertised along with the survey – through local media, email of stakeholders, and use of local networks.

Venue Date Time Stornoway Town Hall, Lewis Monday 27 April 2015 6pm Bays Community Centre, Harris Tuesday 28 April 2015 6pm Balivanich Hall, Benbecula Wednesday 29 April 2015 6pm Castlebay Hall, Barra Thursday 30 April 2015 6pm

3.5 The meetings broadly considered the same topics as the survey and included:

 Hearing about the progress of the Hebridean Way  Learning about other Countryside Trusts  Discussing views on the potential role for a Trust  Considering how a Trust might be established and run.

Additional face to face meetings

3.6 Additional meetings were held with the Stornoway Trust, HIE, NHS (Paths to Health), Outer Hebrides Tourism, Visit Scotland, Volunteer Centre (WISE) – as well as with CnES and SNH. These additional meetings were arranged when we knew that

STAR Development Group 20 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust key stakeholders might not be able to attend meetings yet it would be important to capture their views.

3.7 This section provides a summary of the main findings – full details of the survey results and the stakeholder meetings and those that took part are provided as accompanying documents to this report.

Summary of the Survey Results

Description of respondents 3.8 The survey was completed by 78 local stakeholders from tourism related businesses, environment and recreation groups, landmanagers, community and voluntary groups and from the public sector. Strong support for establishing the OHCT 3.9 The majority of respondents (62 out of 78) were in favour of establishing the Trust. Two respondents were opposed, expressing the view (among others) that there were already too many organisations in the area trying to influence / control the coast and countryside. Eight respondents were undecided, and in general, these felt they had insufficient information upon which to base a view. Benefits of the OHCT 3.10 Respondents perceived the benefits of the Trust to be: a more coordinated, cohesive and unifying approach to the promotion and development of access and outdoor activities; protecting, conserving and raising awareness of the environment; an increase in sustainable tourism and better facilities for tourists; economic benefits; and the improvement of general fitness and wellbeing among local communities. Concerns about the proposal to establish the OHCT 3.11 Concerns voiced about the proposal to establish the Trust included: a worry about increased bureaucracy and the overriding of locals’ voices; problems in obtaining funding, and a fear that the Trust might end up displacing the work of, or competing for funding with, existing groups; not all the islands would be included; and that improving access could lead to the overdevelopment of the landscape.

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The proposed objectives of the OHCT

Proposed roles for the Trust

1. To develop and manage the Hebridean Way; 2. To maintain the Hebridean Way; 3. To promote a range of activities and events that contribute to the environment, and healthy lifestyles; 4. To engage with and involve volunteers, businesses, communities and schools in environmental projects; 5. To develop appropriate interpretation, signage, promotion and publications in conjunction with the relevant agencies (SUSTRANS, Visit Scotland, Outer Hebrides Tourism Industry Association etc.);

6. To encourage, facilitate and promote responsible outdoor access to the coast and countryside; 7. To create social benefits such as opportunities for

employment, training and volunteering; 8. To support the delivery of the Comhairle’s Biodiversity Duty.

3.12 Survey respondents generally supported the eight proposed objectives of the Trust. However, there was some variation in the strength of support for individual objectives. Objectives 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 had the strongest support, with 90% or above in agreement with the objectives and several voicing the opinion that these should be essential objectives. Meanwhile Objectives 3, 4 and 8 had slightly less strong support. Some respondents expressed a need for clarity about the meaning of Objective 8.

3.13 Some themes that recurred frequently in respondents’ comments about the proposed objectives were that the Trust should work in partnership and not compete with existing organisations.

How the Trust should be run and funded

3.14 Respondents gave their views on how the Trust could best support their work, as well as ideas for how the Trust should be managed and funded. Main themes emerging from this included: working closely in partnership with, and promoting the work of, local stakeholders; having an elected board with broad representation from all the islands; and finding long-term, sustainable sources of funding that do not drain local communities.

Summary of the Consultation Meetings

3.15 The meetings were attended by 32 people. Sadly the meeting in Barra was cancelled due to lack of any attendance. The main points made are summarised below.

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Roles for the Trust

3.16 The meetings considered the role for a Trust following a discussion on what was already happening (who was doing what already) to make the most of environmental assets in the Outer Hebrides. The question was therefore set in the context of how a Trust could add value to or fill gaps in existing work.

3.17 Suggested roles for the Trust included:

 The need for one body to look after and promote the Hebridean Way  Being able to operate at scale – coordinating, ensuring quality and consistency (e.g. consistent Ranger service, coordinating bike hire and infrastructure along the Hebridean Way cycle route, coordinating walks leaflets published by Historical Societies and communities, public transport coordination, improving all abilities access)  Maintenance of access infrastructure already in place  Development of the Hebridean Way (e.g. ‘taking it West in Lewis and Harris’)  Development of access provision e.g. mountain bike trails in Lewis and Harris and related infrastructure (e.g. facilities like showers, bike wash, changing facilities; investment in infrastructure for wildlife tourism operators)  Promotion of environmental assets (marketing, signage, maps)  Tackling invasive species on a landscape scale.  Education and training (e.g. getting school children out into the environment; training for Mountain Leadership)  Tackling invasive species  Bringing in funds

Main priority for the Trust

3.18 Having considered potential roles attendees were also asked about priorities. There was a consistent view expressed that the Trust should focus on the maintenance, development and promotion of the Hebridean Way. Promotion should include ‘selling’ the Hebridean Way not only to visitors but also to local communities.

How the Trust should operate

3.19 A key message was that the Trust should work closely with existing landmanagers and in particular with community land trusts and crofters grazing committees. It was suggested that consideration should be given to:

 developing partnership working e.g. inclusion of a Countryside Trust/ Hebridean Way role in the remit of Community Land Trust existing staff  joint working on path building and maintenance e.g. with local volunteers, communities, crofters, community land trusts helping to monitor state of repair.  Locating Trust staff in Community Land Trust offices e.g. North Harris, South Uist.

3.20 Other partnerships and joint working should include:

 Links with local health groups around issues like disabled access  Working with schools, communities, recreation and environment groups, local tourism related businesses, historical societies.  Working with Outer Hebrides Tourism and tourism businesses.

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3.21 It was recognised that the Trust would need staff to operate and it was thought that the Trust might require 2 or 3 staff – a project coordinator and 2 local staff. It was thought that if there were 2 local staff then one should be in Lewis and Harris and one for Uists and Barra ‘perhaps based with SNH or community land owners’. It was strongly recommended that the Trust would need a ‘local presence on the islands and not just a base in Stornoway.’

Governance

3.22 It was broadly agreed that the Trust should be established as a charitable company or SCIO that can access funding. Responses from the meetings indicated that people thought that an inclusive approach to membership was preferable and respondents liked the Arran Access Trust model of including landmanagers and users. It was thought that the Board should be representative of geographical and sectoral interests. There was also support for the idea of an Advisory Groups to work with the Board of Directors.

Funding for the Trust

3.23 Suggestions for funding the Trust included:

 The need for CnES to commit to 3-5 years funding to provide security and allow long term thinking.  Funding from Western Isles Development Trust – renewables fund  Generating income through e.g. merchandising, advertising revenue, sponsorship and events, membership charges and donations.

Face to face meetings

3.24 Additional meetings provided additional information and made the following points:

 HIE indicated their support for the proposed Trust and for the Hebridean Way but noted that they hoped that in the future there might be scope for the footpath route to be extended in order to link it to other key visitor attractions.  Outer Hebrides Tourism (OHT) and Visit Scotland indicated they supported the Trust but were keen to see it closely aligned to the work of OHT and Visit Scotland and to take account of the new Tourism Strategy.  HIE, OHT and Visit Scotland were all very clear about the potential for the Hebridean Way to be a driver for tourism and economic development.  Paths maintenance was crucial and there was still limited capacity to do this successfully in the Outer Hebrides – and previous initiatives to develop and promote paths had been undone by lack of maintenance.  The experience of the WISE project in providing volunteering opportunities linked to improving and maintaining paths – and how its limited resources meant that it was unable to successfully cover all the islands. It was noted that its funding ran out in March 2016.  The potential and need for the Trust to raise funds from benefit funds linked to renewable energy was again highlighted. It was suggested that the Trust should apply for funding to the Western Isles Development Trust and also work closely with community land trusts to see whether community benefit funds could be used to maintain the Hebridean Way where it passed through their land and communities.

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4. PROPOSED ROLES AND STAFF REQUIREMENTS FOR AN OUTER HEBRIDES COUNTRYSIDE TRUST

4.1 This section of the report takes on board the findings from the consultation and the experience of other Countryside Trusts to make recommendations for the role of a Countryside Trust in the Outer Hebrides. It also looks at what this might mean in terms of staffing.

Overview

4.2 The first point to make is that from the consultation it is clear that there is a role for a Countryside Trust. Most of the consultation responses quickly shifted from accepting the need for a Trust to the detail of how it might work and in particular how it would work with existing organisations.

4.3 The consultation results and the experience of other Trusts suggest that the Trust could usefully fulfil a number of roles but that in the first instance it should start small and be focused.

4.4 In broad terms the Trust was seen as a body that could co-ordinate existing efforts, be able to work at ‘scale’ across the Outer Hebrides – filling gaps where needed, adding value, and trying to ensure consistency and quality in making the most of the islands environmental assets.

4.5 This role was seen as being particularly needed in maintaining, developing and promoting the Hebridean Way footpath and cycle routes and that this should be its initial focus.

‘A linear journey through an island chain from one end to the other – is the Outer Hebrides Unique Selling Point.’ (Outer Hebrides Tourism - Quote from the consultation)

4.6 In recommending this sharp strategic focus it is also recognised and important to emphasise that this will involve all the wider roles and abilities that are associated with Countryside Trusts. It will require the ability to:

 Develop capacity to maintain and develop access projects.  Create volunteer, training and job opportunities linked to access and the environment  Develop interpretation and signage and infrastructure to help maximise user experience and social and economic benefits.  Promote and market the Hebridean Way  Preserve and enhance the environment  Encourage use and enjoyment of the environment  Secure funding for access and environmental projects.

4.7 Focus on the Hebridean Way will also require the Trust to develop a range of local and strategic partnerships that should serve the Outer Hebrides well not just for the Hebridean Way but for other environmental and heritage projects in the future:

 At a local level the Trust must be able to work closely and in partnership with landmanagers, communities, tourism businesses and third sector organisations.

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 At a strategic level the Trust needs to work closely with public sector (e.g. CnES, SNH, NHS, HIE and Community Planning Partnership) and within relevant policy contexts.  It also needs to work in partnership with the business and community sectors representative organisations e.g. Visit Scotland, Outer Hebrides Tourism, Third Sector Interface.  It should also work at a national level e.g. ensuring that the Hebridean Way is included within national considerations to promote and fund Scotland’s Great Trails, and that it is aware of opportunities linked to the Scottish Government National Planning Framework and other policy initiatives.

A Countryside Trust will give organisations and individuals the opportunity to work in partnership to develop the Hebridean Way in a way that will benefit all sectors of the community. Quote from the survey

4.8 There is therefore thought to be scope for the Trust to grow its role, capacity and experience over the next 5 – 10 years from learning from the experience of maintaining, developing and promoting the Hebridean Way.

‘Establishing a main network route to rival the Southern Upland and the West Highland Way would be an incredible boon for the island economy and one that shouldn't be taken lightly’. Quote from the survey

Maintaining the Hebridean Way

‘A project that is not maintained on a rolling programme will soon lose its attractiveness and just stop being used’

‘Important for the confidence of visitors that the route is maintained’ Quotes from the survey

4.9 The Trust should seek (in partnership) to develop resources and initiatives that will build capacity to enable the maintenance of the Hebridean Way.

4.10 This should include:

 Establishing a maintenance cost for the Hebridean Way over a ten year cycle – and being clear about how this breaks down into costs for each island in the Outer Hebrides of the route. It will also be worth knowing the estimated cost of maintenance across different landmanagers land.

 Identifying and engaging with partners – landmanagers, communities, tourism businesses, third sector organisations – to assess what local resources and skills already exist that could help to maintain the route and how well they currently work together and how the Trust can add value and fill gaps.

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 Looking at how other Countryside Trusts have developed and funded paths maintenance using a combination of volunteers (e.g. adopt a path schemes), trainees (rural skills training), rangers or paths officers, landmanagers, and contractors. We have highlighted in this report how this has been done by e.g. Arrran Access Trust, Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust, and the new paths project team for Argyll Coast and Countryside Trust.

 Developing project proposals and seeking funding for Paths Maintenance team(s) (a combination of volunteers, trainees, landmanagers, paid Trust staff and contractors) that draws on the experience of other Trusts and makes best use of existing resources. This should take account of the resources within existing community land trusts and other landmanagers, the WISE project, and the two SNH staff that have been instrumental in coordinating the development of the Hebridean Way to date.

Maintenance should involve local people that can work to make sure the route is of high quality everywhere

I think it will be very important for the OHCT to be able to use a small team of suitably qualified people to carry out regular surveys of the route to identify maintenance issues.

Build on the work of WISE to develop further links with communities and schools. 40 Volunteers signed up with WISE in the first year, each one wanting to improve access to the outdoors. OHCT could incorporate WISE so that these volunteer numbers and relationships within the community are maintained.

Encourage local communities to "Adopt a Path" approach to path section maintenance.

Develop a vocational path skills training model for local people

Much of the smaller scale work could and should I think be carried out by teams of local volunteers with suitable guidance and supervision. Quotes from the survey

Income generation for maintenance

4.11 This role should also include establishing income generation mechanisms that allow people that are supporters and users of the Hebridean Way to make a contribution to its maintenance. We think there is an opportunity to make a stronger link between costs and benefits of long distance paths than is often made. As mentioned above this should include making clear and publicising how much it costs to maintain the path – promoting and sharing this information as widely as possible - and then enabling people and organisations to contribute to this cost. Contribution mechanisms to consider should include a Friends of Group, Donations, Legacies, Visitor Payback, local and Outer Hebrides Events and Activities fundraisers, and business and community sponsorship. These and other mechanisms and their use by other Countryside Trusts have been mentioned earlier in this report and are discussed further in the final section of this report.

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Development of the Hebridean Way

4.12 The development of the Hebridean Way should include making sure that the footpath and cycle routes help to deliver social and economic benefits throughout the islands.

4.13 This should include working in partnership with local partners in each island to:

 Coordinate and develop signage, interpretation and information about the Hebridean Way and what can be accessed from it.  Identify and encourage the development of infrastructure, amenities and services along the Way to enable people to enjoy their experience.  Promote local history, local produce, local businesses and other aspects of communities.  Look at where there may be value in creating all ability parts of the Way ‘for all ages and abilities’.  Reducing the ‘along the road’ sections of the footpath.

Regular signage, information boards, stiles, gates, bridges. Signpost the walks & attractions and produce guides electronically and in leaflet/booklet form. Provide luggage collection/delivery points so people can move on easily Quotes from the survey

4.14 The approach to interpretation and signage needs to take account of local sensitivities expressed in the consultation – to not overdo it and to protect the unspoilt wild nature of the place.

4.15 Future development may also include looking at how the Hebridean Way, or offshoots of it, can be extended to take in other communities or other attractions in the Outer Hebrides. Suggestions – in addition to continuing the path to Ness on Lewis - from the consultation have included:

 developing local footpath networks off the Hebridean Way  developing a footpath link to Lochboisdale  developing a ‘western leg’ of the path in Lewis and Harris to connect the Hebridean Way with major tourist and cultural attractions.

4.16 A key aspect of this developmental role will be to work closely with Outer Hebrides Tourism and other economic development partners to make sure that existing and new tourism businesses are able to make the most of the potential that the Hebridean Way offers and equally that they are able to provide the services and infrastructure that will be required to make it an attractive proposition for visitors.

4.17 It will also be important to work closely with communities and the voluntary sector to make sure that health, social and educational benefits are also delivered.

Stranraer Rotary has published a book of 27 circular walks that can be accessed from the Mull of Galloway Trail

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Promotion and Marketing and encouraging use

4.18 The review of Trusts and findings from the survey and events suggest that the Trust should take on a significant role in promoting the Hebridean Way and other environmental assets and encouraging their use by visitors and local communities.

4.19 Trusts have often established their own website and a dedicated website for specific projects e.g. Fife Coastal Path (FCCT), Cateran Trail (PKCT) - and these websites have often then been used to promote membership and Friends of Groups, attract volunteers, sell merchandise and advertising, promote events, sponsorship and donations. We would recommend that a Countryside Trust for the Outer Hebrides should take a similar approach. In doing so it should take account of how it can work well in partnership with Visit Scotland and Outer Hebrides Tourism. See for example the relationship between the Arran Access Trust and Arran Trust (Visit Arran).

4.20 It was also suggested at the meetings and through the survey that the Trust like other similar organisation should help encourage and promote events and activities along the Hebridean Way – both as a vehicle for encouraging use but again as a means of generating income.

Many of Scotland’s Great Trails now host Ultra Marathons. The West Highland Way is used for the Caledonian Challenge, Cateran Trail for the YOMP, and Rob Roy Way for the Rob Roy Challenge. Managers of trails also provide guided walks e.g. Great Glen Way have a series of guided walks throughout the year.

Stranraer Rotary organise an annual marathon to raise funds for the maintenance of the Mulll of Galloway Trail, and even smaller communities raise funds for paths development through organising cycling sportives (e.g. Muthill through the Muthill Village Trust).

4.21 There is also thought to be a significant role for the Trust in promoting local use and a shared sense of ownership of the Hebridean Way. Promotion activity should therefore include:

 developing strong partnership links with landmanagers.  Working closely with communities, schools and health providers to encourage access and enjoyment of the environment for informal recreaion, education, health and wellbeing.

4.22 We have also identified the importance of promoting both the costs and benefits of the Hebridean Way.

4.23 In summary the Trust should take action to:

 Establish a web site to promote the Trust and Hebridean Way  Promote through the website and other means – opportunities for volunteering, membership, donations, Friends of Groups, Sponsorship and other initiatives for participation and income generation.  Develop and promote merchandise and advertising opportunities linked to the website  Work with landmanagers, schools, NHS, community and voluntary groups to encourage local use and develop ‘shared ownership’ of the Hebridean Way.  Develop and promote events and activities along the Hebridean Way

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 Liaise with other promotion bodies locally and nationally to promote the Hebridean Way (Outer Hebrides Tourism, Visit Scotland, Scotland’s Great Trails).

Signage, promotion and publications need to be heavily promoted within the local community and not just on a national level.

Quote from the survey

Staffing

4.24 It was recognised through the review and consultation that the Trust would also require its own staff to carry out the roles that have been identified. In saying that it was also recognised that there may be other staff e.g. within the community land trusts in some areas where they may have some staff and other resources that could have the maintenance and improvement of the Hebridean Way as part of their remit –especially where it passed through their land.

4.25 Our view is that the Trust needs its own dedicated staff but that it should also seek to build its capacity to deliver its role by working in close cooperation with partners e.g. landmanagers, voluntary and community organisations, tourism and recreational businesses – some of whom will have resources that can support the work of the Trust.

4.26 The rationale or logic for staffing is to give the Trust the capacity to maintain, develop and promote the Hebridean Way – through their own endeavours, through partnership working and through the ability to raise funds and develop projects that increase capacity to make the most of environmental assets in the Outer Hebrides.

Trust Manager

4.27 We would recommend that the Trust needs its own Manager responsible for:

 Developing governance and partnerships  Promotion and Participation  Project development  Business and strategic planning  Securing funding and establishing income generation initiatives

Hebridean Way Paths Officers

4.28 We would recommend that the Trust should also have 2 Hebridean Way Paths Officers. One for Barra & The Uists and one for Lewis & Harris

4.29 Their role would be to:

 Encourage volunteering and establish an Adopt a Path scheme for the Hebridean Way  Encourage local use through work with schools, NHS, communities.  Help develop and implement a maintenance programme and project teams for the Hebridean Way that involves volunteers, trainees, landmanagers and others as appropriate.

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 Support the development of the Hebridean Way through work with communities, landmanagers, local businesses, and recreation, environmental and heritage organisations.

Securing Funding

4.30 To implement the above roles and secure the required staffing the Trust needs to have the capacity to secure financial resources.

4.31 As identified in the review of other Trusts this requires:

 Core Funding from a small number of key partners  Developing projects and making funding applications to a wide variety of funding sources  Generating income

4.32 This is discussed in the final section of this report.

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5. LEGAL STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE

5.1 This section discusses and makes recommendations about the legal structure, membership and board/trustees of the proposed Countryside Trust.

5.2 The key considerations that underpin the recommendations here are to establish an organisation:

 That can access funding from a variety of sources  that is a good vehicle and structure for partnership and shared working  that can attract ‘buy in’ from volunteers, communities, land managers, businesses, users of the countryside as well as the public sector  that has representation from across the Outer Hebrides  That is independent and not tightly held by any one organisation.

Legal Structure

5.3 We would recommend – taking account of other Countryside Trusts and the considerations above – that an Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust should be established as an incorporated charitable organisation.

5.4 It should therefore be established either as a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee or a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). The SCIO model has slightly less regulatory requirements as it only reports to the Office of Scottish Charities Regulator (OSCR). The Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee reports to both OSCR and Companies House.

5.5 Either option will require the drafting of a Constitution (Articles of Association if a company limited by guarantee) for the Trust and ensuring that the objectives of the company are deemed to be charitable by OSCR.

5.6 We have included an example (From Fife Coast and Countryside Trust) of charitable objectives in Appendix 1.

Membership

5.7 We would recommend that the Trust is a two tier organisation with a membership which then in turn elects the majority of the Board of Directors/Trustees of the Trust.

5.8 Our review of other Countryside Trusts highlighted the variations in defining membership. This ranged from narrowly defined membership (e.g. Fife Coast and Countryside Trust) through to widely defined membership (e.g. Argyll Coast and Countryside Trust). FCCT have only one member – Fife Council; while ACT has membership open to all adult permanent residents in Argyll. We also highlighted the membership formula of the Arran Access Trust which defined membership in terms of different stakeholder interests.

5.9 Our recommendation is that the Trust should consider either a wide membership model (like the Trust in Argyll) or defining membership in a way that is closely aligned to stakeholder interests (like the Arran Access Trust).

5.10 In general it seems very important in the Outer Hebrides to work closely and cooperatively across a range of interests and for the Trust to embody a sense of

STAR Development Group 33 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust shared ownership. This is thought to be particularly important for the future success of the Hebridean Way.

5.11 However whether this shared ownership and cross section of interests and geography is achieved through defining specific stakeholder membership or by defining how a wider membership elect a Board of Directors/Trustees is a moot point.

5.12 In terms of membership there are then two options to consider:

 Option 1 Wide Membership: To have membership open to a) adult individuals that are permanently resident in the Outer Hebrides b) incorporated organisations that have their main business in the Outer Hebrides c) unincorporated organisations that operate in the Outer Hebrides.  Option 2 Stakeholder Membership: To have membership open to a) land managers b) community, recreation, environment and heritage organisations c) tourism businesses d) public sector agencies - all of which subscribe to the aims of the Countryside Trust and are based in the Outer Hebrides.

The question of users of the Hebridean Way as members

5.13 We note that the Arran Access Trust encourage users of Arran Coastal Path or other access takers to become members of the Trust however we would suggest that the best way of involving users of the Hebridean Way would be to establish a Friends of the Hebridean Way – under the auspices of the Trust. This is discussed further in the next section on Budgets and Finance.

Membership Fees

5.14 The Trust will be able to set a membership fee but this should also be thought of in advance. Argyll Coast and Countryside Trust charge £5 a year membership fees. Arran Access Trust charge different amounts for different categories of membership.

5.15 Maintaining an annual membership can be an added task for a Trust so it may also be worth considering offering a 3 or 5 year membership option.

Board /Trustees

Terminology

5.16 Just for clarity – if the Trust is registered as a Charitable Company limited by guarantee – then the management committee would be a Board of Directors and those on the Board would be both Directors (of the Company) and Trustees (of the Charity). If the Trust is registered as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation then the management committee would simply be Trustees.

Election and appointment to the Board

5.17 It is suggested that the Board is elected and appointed to ensure that there is a good cross section of sectoral and geographic representation.

5.18 If for arguments sake there are a maximum of 12 members of the Board/Trustees these seats could be taken up as follows

 4 elected from members from Uists and Barra

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 4 elected from members from Lewis and Harris  up to 4 appointed from public sector and other core funding partners

5.19 Of the four elected from Uists and Barra, and from Lewis and Harris there could be 1 representative from land managers, 1 from recreation and tourism interests, 1 from communities, 1 from environment and heritage groups.

Appointments

5.20 It is common practice for Countryside Trusts to give nomination rights to organisations that are making core funding commitment to the Trust. So if for example CnES, SNH, HIE and NHS were all making core funding contributions to the Trust then it would be anticipated that they would be able to nominate a representative to the Board/Trustees.

Election

5.21 Election of the 4 representatives from Uists & Barra, and from Lewis & Harris could either be handled directly at an AGM of the Trust or as suggested below representatives could be put forward from Area Networks.

Area Networks

5.22 A key finding from the feasibility study was the concern about how the proposed Trust would ensure equity of service across the islands, and how it would respond to there different needs, opportunities and circumstances while at the same time being able to take a strategic overview.

5.23 To deal with this we would suggest that the Trust helps to convene two Area Networks of its membership – one for the Uists & Barra and one for Lewis & Harris. The Networks would meet quarterly and serve the following core functions:

 a place for the membership to come together to discuss issues and share information about the Trust’s activities and work programme.  a mechanism for the Trust to report on its work across the Outer Hebrides  a focus for Trust staff working in the area to report on progress on area based environment and access projects and seek support from stakeholders.

5.24 We have established similar networks for area wide Trusts e.g. in the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park and they have also taken on the following roles:

 Development of area based projects (under the auspices of the overall Trust). In other words the Area Networks can become a development mechanism for the Trust and part of its capacity. This role can include the establishment of small working groups to investigate specific projects.  Agreeing nomination of representatives to be put up for election from their area for the Board of the Trust.

Advisory Group

5.25 In our review and in the consultation meetings we highlighted the use of Advisory Groups by Argyll Coast and Countryside Trust and by the Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust. Advisory Groups bring together officers from a range of organisations that can meet with the Board to provide advise and support.

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5.26 The notion behind this is to ensure that while the Trust is an independent organisation it is not isolated from the support that a range of other organisations can offer. It is independent but well connected!

5.27 In light of a positive response to this idea from the consultation meetings we would recommend that the Trust establishes an Advisory Group that it can seek advice from.

5.28 The Argyll Coast and Countryside Trust Board meet with their Advisory Group once a quarter. As an example their Advisory Group consists ofrepresentatives from development policy, social enterprise, marine and coastal development, access, economic development projects (including tourism), built heritage and conservation, community and voluntary group development, biodiversity and natural heritage.

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Overview of proposed structure and governance

Advisory Outer Hebrides

Group Countryside Trust

Uists and Barra Lewis and Harris Area Network Area Network

Membership

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6. BUDGETS AND SOURCES OF FUNDING

Funding

6.1 The experience of Countryside Trusts and other similar bodies is that to be sustainable they require a financial model that includes:

 Core funding (usually from public sector) partners that jointly contribute to the Trust’s core running costs and at the very least a senior manager or chief executive.  Accessing project funding to help carry out and develop their activities  The ability to generate additional sources of income - and over time to dilute their dependence on the public sector (to see it become a smaller part of a growing income).

6.2 Trusts also emphasise the importance of volunteer support and involvement to reduce the costs that are required.

Budget requirements

Staffing

6.3 We have identified roles and staffing for the Trust that will require funding.

Staff Role Trust Manager  Developing governance and local and strategic partnerships  Project development and related funding applications  Promotion and Participation  Business and strategic planning  Develop funding strategy and business plan and establish income generation initiatives Hebridean Way  Encourage volunteering e.g. Adopt a Path Paths Officers scheme for the Hebridean Way  1 for Uists  Encourage local use through work with schools, &Barra NHS, communities.  1 for Lewis &  Implement a maintenance programme for the Harris Hebridean Way  Support the development of the Hebridean Way  Partnership working with communities, land managers, local businesses, recreation, environmental and heritage organisations.

6.4 We would recommend that

 the Trust Manager post is a 3 year core funded post.  The Hebridean Way Officers posts are also 3 year posts funded either through core funding or project grants.

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6.5 Salary Costs

Guideline On Costs Total Cost Salary Trust Manager £30K £7.5K £37.5K (£25 - £30K) Hebridean Way Path £22K x 2 £4.4K x 2 £52.8K Officers x 2 (£18 - £25K) Indicative year 1 costs. Years 2 & 3 increase of 2%/annum.

6.6 Other initial start up costs

 Web site costs £10K to establish. Ongoing hosting costs.  Other promotional costs £4K first year, less in years 2 & 3.  Promotional events

6.7 Other revenue costs

Ongoing costs will include budget requirements for Admin and Office Costs, Travel, Governance (legal, budget for Trust meetings, for Area Network meetings), Accountancy).

Guideline costs

Admin and Office Costs £6K

Staff Travel £6K

Board Meetings and AGM £2K

Area Networks 3 x 2 areas x £100 £600

Accountancy and Legal £3K in year 1 to include set up of Trust

Notes

6.8 Admin and office costs – assume the operation of 2 offices. The cost is modest and is based on the potential for staff to share offices with existing organisations. For example it was suggested during the consultation that staff could be based with existing community land trusts. They could also potentially work from home.

6.9 Staff travel – assumes staff have own cars and are paid petrol allowance and ferry costs. Cost is based on £2,000 travel costs per person per annum.

6.10 Board meetings costs assume 5 meetings (including the AGM) a year at £400 per meeting mainly to cover board travel costs. Video or phone conferencing should be encouraged to reduce costs.

6.11 Area Networks – we have also included a small budget for area based meetings for Uist & Barra, and Lewis & Harris. £100 per meeting has been allocated for up to 3 meetings a year for each Area Network.

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6.12 Budget summary

OHCT Core Costs Yr 1 Yr2 Yr3 Staffing Trust Manager salary £30,000 £30,600 £31,212 Hebridean Way Paths Officer 1 for Lewis and Harris £22,000 £22,440 £22,889 Hebridean Way Paths Officer 1 for Uists and Barra £22,000 £22,440 £22,889 Employers costs @ 20% £14,800 £15,096 £15,398 TOTAL staff £88,800 £90,576 £92,388

Promotion Website £10,000 £500 £500 Other promotional material £4,000 £1,000 £1,000 Events £1,000 £1,000 £1,000 TOTAL promotion £15,000 £2,500 £2,500

Office & Admin Office premises/equipment £8,000 £6,000 £6,000 Staff travel £6,000 £6,000 £6,000 Board meetings & AGM £2,000 £2,000 £2,000 Area Networks (3/year x 2areas) £600 £600 £600 Accountancy & legal £3,000 £1,000 £1,000 TOTAL Admin £19,600 £15,600 £15,600

TOTAL CORE COSTS £123,400 £108,676 £110,488

Financial Model

Core Funding

6.13 We would recommend that the Trust is supported initially by 3 year core funding from public sector partners.

6.14 It is recommended that initial core funding is sought from CnES, SNH, HIE and NHS in recognition of the contribution that the Trust can make to their strategic objectives of economic and tourism development, environmental enhancement, and health and wellbeing.

6.15 It is thought that the partners should in the first instance fund the Chief Executive and if possible should also fund the 2 Paths Officers for the first 3 years. The alternative is to appoint the Trust Manager and then seek project funding e.g. from LEADER for the Paths Officers.

6.16 The 3 year time frame is suggested as it is thought that it should be viewed as a priority to shift from an initial core funding phase that is reliant on the public sector to a core funding regime from the end of the third year of operation that has a more STAR Development Group 40 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust balanced profile. It may for example be able to introduce a contribution from renewables benefit funds. In particular there would appear to be opportunities to benefit from renewables – perhaps most likely when the grid connector is a reality hopefully from 2019.

Project Funding

6.17 In the first instance we would recommend that the Trust concentrate on developing a Hebridean Way Paths Team. This should include resources to establish a Paths Project Team and related training programme and an Adopt a Path initiative to involve and train volunteers. These projects would be in addition to the Paths Officers.

6.18 In developing project proposals the Trust should look closely at the work of COAT (Adopt a Path, and 3 year ESF funded SVQ Training Programme; Arran Access Trust (Coastal Communities Funded Paths Project Team; and Argyll Coast and Countryside Trust (ACT Project Team). All programmes have an emphasis on volunteering, training and employment linked to paths maintenance and improvements.

Adopt a Path

6.19 This could potentially build on the experience of the WISE group which has encouraged volunteering linked to path maintenance. It has run for the last 3 years under the auspices of the Volunteer Centre and was funded by Young Start, Big Lottery and SNH. The project could be refocused on encouraging communities, groups, schools, interested individuals etc to adopt a section of the Hebridean Way.

6.20 Funding paid for 1 Volunteer Coordinator, equipment, office and travel costs and management support from the Volunteer Centre. The budget is around £17K however the view is that this limited budget has made it difficult for the project to cover all the islands – and that a more realistic figure would be around £34K per annum to enable a service to be offered across the Outer Hebrides.

Paths maintenance and improvement team

6.21 We would recommend that consideration is given to the ACT model of establishing the Paths Team as a Social Enterprise with the aim being for it to become self sufficient over a 3 year period. Details of its budget and funders are provided below:

Argyll Coast and Countryside Trust: 3 year Funding for ACT Project Teams

SNH £20,000

FCS £20,000

Argyll and Bute Council £20,000

People in Communities Fund £131,530

Skills Development Scotland £8,400

WHHA/Dunbritton Housing Association £46,000

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6.22 Drawing from the experience of other Trusts potential project funders may include: Public Sector (local authority, SNH, HIE, NHS) Europe (LEADER, InterReg, ESF, SRDP) Lottery (Heritage Lottery Fund, Big Lottery Fund) Renewable Energy Community Benefit Funds, Climate Challenge Fund, Charitable funders, Private Sector (e.g. SSE), and Third Sector Organisations (e.g. RSPB, Paths for All).

6.23 A specific worth noting and learning more about is the success that COAT has had in working with the Cairngorms National Park Authority to secure ‘Shovel Ready Project’ funding from the Scottish Government for paths improvement and development.

6.24 SRDP 2 2015 – 2020 will also be an important potential contributor under ‘Improving Public Access’. It will have a total national budget of £6M and will pay for 100% standard costs for capital works. Capital works can include paths, drainage, gates, bridges, fencing, signage, benches, vegetation clearance etc. Priority will be for improving connectivity e.g. core path or link to core path, path linking to other paths at land boundary to support local path networks or long distance route (LDR); path linking to feature of interest (e.g. viewpoint, loch, historic feature etc.)

6.25 The Trust should work closely with landmanagers to support SRDP applications and their may be value in the Trust ‘registering as an agent’ to help coordinate bids to SRDP for paths and other environmental work. The new SRDP programme includes an ‘Environmental Cooperation Action Fund’ that will support environmental initiatives at a landscape scale.

Initial project funds

6.26 It should be recognised that it may take the Trust time to develop and establish projects as outlined above. It may therefore be appropriate to include some early Project Funding from key partners to allow the Trust to take early action and to build partnership working with landmanagers and communities. We would suggest that an Initial Project Fund should be budgeted for in the first 2 years of the Trusts operation. For example a fund of £50 - £60K could be allocated in two tranches of £25 - £30K to each Area Network to allow the Paths Officers to develop projects along the Hebridean Way in partnership with landmanagers and communities. This could be used as match funding for projects that helped to maintain, develop or promote the Hebridean Way.

Income Generation

6.27 Income generation is increasingly a part of the funding strategy of Countryside Trusts. Key opportunities identified during this feasibility study include:

 Membership  Friends of the Hebridean Way  Donations  Visitor Payback  Schemes to involve businesses (see PKCT Big Tree Country; FCCT Big Green Footprint, Arran Trust’s relationship with Arran Access Trust)  Events and Activities  Sale of merchandise and advertising through the website.

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 Renewables benefit funds

Membership

6.28 Membership fees could be modelled on ACT - £5 per annum for individual members or pursue the type of fee arrangement adopted by Arran Access Trust (Private Individuals: £10.00, Voluntary organisations, interest groups & businesses: £25.00,Public Agencies: £125.00).

Friends of the Hebridean Way

6.29 This is suggested as a way of involving users and other supporters of the Hebridean Way. Friends of fees could be modelled on that of the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust (Individuals £15, Couples £25, Family £30, Groups £50).

Donations

6.30 As noted other Trusts encourage donations through their websites. It was also suggested during the consultation that there should be Honesty Boxes along the Way or on the Ferries. We would recommend the approach taken by other Trusts of providing indications of what the donations can achieve by linking requests to information about maintenance costs.

Visitor Payback

6.31 There is mixed experience and views about visitors making voluntary contributions on top of their accommodation costs – but success in Perth and Kinross (albeit through large hotels) and perhaps more relevantly on Arran are worth exploring further. The visitor gifting scheme on Arran is run by the Arran Trust ‘ tourism and conservation working in partnership’ and is supported by the business community. This should be explored in partnership with Outer Hebrides Tourism and Visit Scotland with a view to establishing a similar initiative.

Business Sponsorship

6.32 Fife and Perth & Kinross have both established business sponsorship schemes (Big Green Footprint and Big Tree Country) and they should be explored further to see if there is the opportunity to mirror them in the Outer Hebrides.

Events and activities

6.33 We would recommend that the Trust works with local partners to organise a number of events and activities along the Hebridean Way as a way of generating income for paths maintenance. As an example the Marathon being organised by Stranraer Rotary to help maintain the Mull of Galloway Trail costs £25 per person to enter, with a £15 charge for a smaller fun run. Participants should also be encouraged to raise sponsorship for the Trust (another advantage of the Trust being a charity). It was also suggested during the consultation that the Hebridean Way cycle route could be used for a cycle challenge event.

Sale of merchandise and advertising through the website

6.34 Other Trusts and long distance routes sell merchandise (maps, t-shirts, books) and selling advertising space to businesses on their websites. The Kintyre Way is a good example of both of these initiatives. However again this would need to be STAR Development Group 43 Feasibility Study Outer Hebrides Countryside Trust thought through carefully with Outer Hebrides Tourism. The principle would be to link business advertising and merchandise sale to the proposed Hebridean Way Website.

Renewables and benefit funds

6.35 The Trust should seek to work with local community land trusts to see how they can support the maintenance and development of the Hebridean Way through their land. One possibility is that local costs could be subsidised through their own Community Benefit Funds. PKCT have been able for example to receive community benefit funds for the maintenance of the Cateran Trail. The Trust should also explore the potential for regional benefit funds in the same way as Argyll Coast and Countryside Trust are doing. The Kintyre Way is an example of a long distance route that have installed their own Solar Array to generate income and are also investigating the potential for other renewable schemes.

Footnote: Hebridean Way – sharing information about costs & benefits as part of a funding strategy

As mentioned we think that it will be important as part of the financial strategy to be very clear and public about the costs of maintenance of the Hebridean Way from the outset – as well as monitoring and publicising the social and economic benefits. It will be useful if that information can be provided on an island by island basis as well as for the overall route. Income generation initiatives should highlight these costs and benefits in seeking support.

If the maintenance cost is broken down for different islands and different landowners then it may make it easier to present the case for its support from e.g. local community benefit funds from renewable energy schemes. It would also provide a target for local fundraising through e.g. local events.

As a total cost it can be presented to inform Friends of Group, Business Sponsors, Donors, and Visitor Payback schemes. It can be used as the basis for seeking longer term funding through national initiatives to fund Great Scottish Trails, and in seeking Outer Hebrides wide funding from e.g. Western Isles Development Trust.

Monitoring and promoting the benefits of the Hebridean Way will also be an important part of any funding strategy – as it helps to make the argument for supporting maintenance and improvements.

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APPENDIX 1:

Sample charitable objectives for a Countryside Trust

Objects 4 The company's objects are:

4.1 to provide recreational facilities, and organise recreational activities, primarily within the local authority area of xxx Council (“the Operating Area”), with such facilities/activities being made available to members of the public at large with the object of improving their conditions of life, including (without prejudice to that generality) promoting and improving access to the countryside within the Operating Area, and through providing, developing and improving the facilities which support access to the countryside, biodiversity and wildlife within the Operating Area;

4.2 to advance education, primarily within the Operating Area, including through encouraging informed public access to the countryside, biodiversity and wildlife, which shall include the provision of interpretive centres, signage and other methods of conveying information;

4.3 to advance environmental protection and/or improvement through the conservation, preservation and general improvement of the countryside and the landscape within the Operating Area and through securing the sustainable use, management and enjoyment of the countryside and the landscape within the Operating Area;

4.4 to advance heritage and/or culture within the Operating Area;

4.5 to advance citizenship and/or community development, in particular, within the Operating Area; and

4.6 to promote, establish, operate and/or support other similar schemes and projects which further charitable purposes.

Extract from Fife Coast and Countryside Articles of Association

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APPENDIX: 2

OUTER HEBRIDES COUNTRYSIDE TRUST: PROPOSED THEMES, TASKS, OUTCOMES, RESOURCES & TIMESCALE

Themes Projects/Tasks Outcomes Resources and timescale Governance Establish Trust, Board, Membership, Effective governance Trust Manager Area Networks Wide membership involving Now: Cost of setting up Trust stakeholders (£2K) Ensuring a presence and Next 12 months and ongoing: representation from all Governance Costs (meeting islands. costs, legal, accountancy fees) Promotion and Establish Web Site for Trust and for Promotion of Hebridean Way Trust Manager participation Hebridean Way and the Trust Now: £10K Gateway to the H.W for Ongoing: Website hosting potential users and £500 per annum businesses and other service Work closely with OHT and providers Visit Scotland Set up Friends of Group, Donations Opportunity for users, Trust Manager Scheme, Business Sponsorship, Visitor supporters and beneficiaries First 12 – 18 months: Staff time Payback and other income to contribute to costs and to develop. generation initiatives maintenance activities Support and organise events and Encourages use of the trail Trust Manager and Paths activities Support and promote Officers Potential 1 x 2 major events a year existing local events Staff time in organising along the Way to raise money for Potential source of income events and supporting and maintenance e.g. cycle race, walking for the Trust from its ‘own’ promoting existing events. events, ultra marathon. events. Annual activity. Benefit to local economies Develop local partnerships around the Shared ownership of the Trust Manager and Paths maintenance and development of Hebridean Way and its costs Officers the Hebridean Way and benefit, need for Staff time: First 6 months are maintenance and important then ongoing.

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opportunities for development Develop strategic partnerships Align work of the Trust with Trust Manager strategic aims of key partners Staff time: ongoing but and policies – CnES, important in first year to Community Planning, SNH, establish NHS, Outer Hebrides Tourism, Visit Scotland, National Planning Framework, Joint project development and shared interest. Business and Develop business plan, funding Basis for future growth and Trust Manager Project strategy and explore other income diversification of projects and Timescale: Within first 12 Development generation possibilities funding base months Develop project proposals and Capacity to maintain and Trust Manager funding for Paths Team, Paths Skills develop Hebridean Way Training Programme and Adopt a Opportunities for Path Initiatives volunteering, training and employment Maintenance of Adopt a Path programme for the Encourage volunteers to Paths Officers in Year 1 and Hebridean Way Hebridean Way adopt sections of the then dedicated project Hebridean Way Provide training and support for volunteers Paths Skills Training Programme ideally Skills development and Support and coordination 3 year project funding. employability linked to from Paths Officers and Trust working in the environment Manager Trainee places and job opportunities Increases capacity to carry out maintenance. Develop partnership and working Shared ownership and buy in Trust Manager and Paths relationships and shared resources to maintenance and Officers

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with landmanagers and other development of the appropriate organisations Hebridean Way

Development of Coordinate and develop signage, Paths Officers Hebridean Way interpretation and information Identify and encourage the Support local businesses to Paths Officers and Trust development of infrastructure, benefit from the Hebridean Manager amenities and services Way Encourage and facilitate use along the H.W. Promote local history, local produce, Encourages and facilitates Paths Officers local businesses and other aspects of use and widening of benefit communities.

Creating all ability parts of the Way Encouraging use for all Paths Officers ‘for all ages and abilities’. abilities

Reduce the ‘along the road’ sections May be a factor in ensuring Paths Officers of the footpath. the HW is granted Great National Trail status. Encourages use and visitor numbers. Development of links and extensions Encourage use and spread Paths Officers to the Hebridean Way e.g. to tourism social and economic benefit attractions, ferry terminals (e.g. Integrated approach to Lochboisdale) and other key environmental and heritage destinations tourism Development of local footpath Encourage use and spin off Paths Officers networks in communities linked to of benefits within Hebridean Way communities

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