Our last Community Column of the year sees Simon Jones, director of conservation and visitor operations with the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, encourage people in Helensburgh and Lomond to take part in a consultation on a new plan to get people in the park area more active.

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Getting outside and active offers a huge range of benefits, whether it’s introducing someone to their first experience of the outdoors and supporting those who want to try new adventures, to supporting the national efforts to make Scotland a healthier, greener nation.

Active Park, Healthy People is our draft outdoor recreation delivery plan, which sets out the ambitions of the National Park Authority and its partners for getting more people, more active, more often.

We’ve launched a public consultation on the draft plan to gather the views of local residents, visitors and anyone with an interest in outdoor recreation in the National Park.

This feedback will inform the final version of the plan which will be launched next year.

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It will then be used to guide the work of a wide range of organisations who will work together to deliver the initiatives set out in the plan over the next five years.

The plan sets out 24 proposed initiatives for partners to focus on under six key themes: A Park for All; Active and Vibrant Places; Happy and Healthy People; Connecting People; Exploring Further; and Coasts and Water.

A major focus in our draft plan is on inclusion and health by working together to provide opportunities for those who might not otherwise have access to or who would benefit most from getting out into the environment and nature.

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The other key strand of this plan is how we can help address the global climate emergency by making sure there are great active travel opportunities available that provide attractive alternatives to driving in the National Park.

Key to this is gathering as wide a range of views as possible so we’re encouraging anyone with an interest to take part in the consultation.

You can read the draft plan and complete the survey on the National Park’s website (www.lochlomond-trossachs.org).

The consultation will be open until 5pm on Friday, January 31, 2020. Please do take part and help to shape the future of your National Park.

READ MORE: Check out all the latest news headlines from around Helensburgh and Lomond here