Hannah Kentish-Game BEM – Trustee
Hannah has been a Trustee at the charity since 2025. Hannah moved to Cornwall in 2019, with the South West Coast Path being a vital source of mental and physical well-being, who now contributes to its preservation as a Trustee. With a professional background in operational delivery and project management, Hannah currently works in Risk and Assurance within the charity sector and is deeply committed to governance and community impact. Contributions include advancing youth representation in governance, supporting inclusive leadership, and earning a British Empire Medal for services to young people and Scouting.
What attracted you to supporting the South West Coast Path Association in particular?
I had been looking for a new volunteering opportunity to take on, but I didn’t realise until 2025 that the South West Coast Path Association existed as a charity. When I saw the trustee role advertised online, I knew it was something I had to apply for. Living in West Cornwall, the coast path plays a prominent role in my life – being a place I can go to feel calm, and to re-energise after a long day. It’s also been an amazing way to keep fit on regular walks!
What does your role as a Trustee involve?
Being a trustee means looking at the bigger picture. Instead of managing day-to-day path maintenance, I work with the board to set the strategic direction of the Association, manage organisational risks, and ensure our resources are used effectively to keep the trail accessible, resilient, and world-class.
How do you stay connected to the on-the-ground impact of the charity’s work?
For me, staying connected to our impact means getting out and experiencing the path firsthand. It reminds me that every strategic decision we make as trustees directly supports the people, communities, and physical landscape that make the South West Coast Path so vital.
What difference do you think the charity makes overall?
The Path doesn’t just look after itself – it faces constant pressures from climate change, coastal erosion, and funding gaps. The true difference the charity makes is acting as a dedicated guardian. Without the SWCPA’s strategic oversight, fundraising, and coordination of volunteer efforts, the path would quickly become fractured, less accessible, and lost to future generations.
How do you ensure the voices of volunteers and communities are represented at the board level?
Much of the detailed work happens in committees such as the Path Committee, where key volunteers and staff sit alongside trustees. This allows for direct feedback on how board policies are playing out in practice. The board members also have deep connections to the path too – for example, a number of us are regular users living in local communities in the South West.
What message would you like to share with fellow volunteers?
Just to say a massive thank you to every single volunteer dedicated to the South West Coast Path! Your passion, hard work, and muddy boots are what keep this incredible trail alive and accessible. Whether on the ground or behind the scenes, you make a world of difference.
Richard Maunder – Area Path Rep, Constantine Bay to Watergate Bay, Cornwall
The Maunder family have had an association with North Cornwall since July 1946 when grandfather Percy, wife and 4 children towed a small caravan to Treyarnon Bay from mid Devon. An all day affair with young boys helping to push the car up hills on the journey down the old roads. For years the family have all walked the coast path in particular the sections between Padstow and Newquay.
My Cornish born mother was walking the entire path in sections with friends when she was diagnosed with acute leukaemia and sadly passed away, and this led to my father walking 1000 miles from Nice to Devon, and later myself walking the SW Coast Path raising funds for the Exeter Leukaemia Fund, and complete the Path that Mum failed to manage.
I had just taken early retirement when I read in the Members Magazine there was a volunteer vacancy for the Constantine to Watergate Bay section. Once a year just following the worst of the winter, 50 odd volunteers like me walk their sections and record on a tablet various aspects of work required or completed, cliff falls affecting the path, drainage, signage and plenty more. The data is collated and shared with the responsible bodies for maintaining the path.
Volunteers are a valuable resource to support the maintenance of a much loved Path that is enjoyed by so many visitors and those fortunate to live near the path where it becomes part of a daily routine for exercise. My special part of the path is Park Head where Mums ashes were scattered in the wind, but the most walked is Trevose Head often finishing with a swim at Mother Ivey’s Bay.
The Path is cherished by so many, and nobody needs convincing these days that fresh air and exercise is important for all of us, whether it a just a few steps to admire wonderful views or a rather more serious walk. It is addictive, and I am reminded of an occasion when I was walking between Sennen and Zennor (an arduous stretch) in 2011, and I got talking to an elderly gentleman who was looking a little ragged. He asked whether there was anywhere to eat nearby. I responded sadly not but during conversation explained I was heading to Minehead to complete the whole Path. ‘Well done’ he said, before adding’ this is my 7th time around the whole Path’. Impressed and suitably humbled in the presence of a serious walker, I bid him well in his search for sustenance!
Terry Sweeney – Volunteer Planning Advisor for Dorset
How did you start volunteering, and what inspired you?
Well, my first orders on becoming a Coast Ranger with Dorset County Council were, “ go and build the Coast Path between Portland and Lyme Regis”! This was in 1981/2 , when as part of making Heritage Coasts more than a title, Rangers were being appointed to make things happen on the ground.
The South West Coast Path in West Dorset existed on paper, but required action to become walker friendly! So what followed was a fabulous 10 years or more of trusty Landrover, signposts, steps, stiles and surfaces to make the Path a reality.
Within days, I was working with volunteers (Duke of Edinburgh youngsters), and my work could not have been done without them. In 2010 when I left the Countryside Service, I realized I had so much suffering invested in this amazing Path (real blood and bruises!) that I just had to become a volunteer myself!
What does the South West Coast Path mean to you?
I genuinely feel we are part of each other! I helped build it, and in working on it met so many appreciative walkers in Dorset and East Devon that I came to understand what a huge part it played in their lives as well as mine. Many told me the challenge of walking it changed them!
So I still do bits of practical work, but as a volunteer with the Planning Team of the Association, I help to ensure that the importance of the Path for both walkers and the local economy is not compromised by inappropriate development. We work with the Local Planning Authorities in their policy and control roles to protect and care for the beautiful landscapes which make this Path the best in Britain!
What impact do you think you have had on the Path, and what makes you proud of your volunteer journey?
The lesson for everyone volunteering for anything, including our wonderful Path and Association, is that it is all the myriad of tiny actions we collectively take that make it the best long distance path. I love helping protect the biodiversity of the Undercliff near Lyme Regis, for example, but I also hope my many hours scanning planning applications near the coast, and writing letters calling for that precious coast to be better cared for have some positive impact, ….although I will never know!
Sharon Whale – Community Engagement Volunteer, Cornwall
Sharon has been a volunteer at the Cornwall Coast Path Connectors hub for over a year and currently leads one to two walks a month. Alongside this, she is very supportive and encourages others to volunteer.
What inspired you to start volunteering on the South West Coast Path?
When I was a child, I always loved walking with my family and more latterly with my friends. It has been a lifelong passion for me. Volunteering with the South West Coast Path is my way of giving something back to my community and hopefully brightening someone else’s day along the way. It’s lovely to chat and listen to the other walkers whilst we are on The Path, and for each of us to share our love and knowledge of our surroundings with those who we are walking with.
How do you help participants feel welcome and included?
Simple gestures like welcoming someone new at the start of the walk with a big smile, ensuring I remember their name, checking in on them to make sure they are okay during the walk, and ensuring they are included in conversations and not left on their own. I always like to say thank you to everyone for coming at the end of our walk, too.
Have you learned anything new about the local environment through volunteering?
The environment is constantly changing by the very force of it being’ Nature’, plus the constant pressures people put on it leads to considerable work in maintaining the South West Coast Path. The devastating aftermath following Storm Gorretti being just one example of the power of nature. Yet nature is strong and resilient and finds ways to overcome and survive whatever has happened, and with our help and our respect for it, our environment will continue to flourish and grow.
What would you say to someone thinking about joining as a volunteer?
I would really love to have you on board, and I truly value you as part of our groups. I know you will have some reservations of what might be expected of you. I was exactly the same when I started on my journey as a volunteer and I am more than happy to chat with you about what the role might mean for you. Jack is hugely supportive, and I too, would always be there to help and support you. You would not be on your own and I know you would be really good at it.
How would you describe the volunteer community in three words?
Friendly, Fantastic, Fun
Tracey Upton, Community Engagement Volunteer, North Devon
Tracey began walking with the Coast Path Connectors long-distance group and the North Devon Wellbeing group in late 2024. In March 2025, she signed up to train as a walk leader, around the same time the North Devon Carers walks were launched. After qualifying as a walk leader in December 2025, she now co-leads these walks alongside a member of the North Devon Carers team. Tracey also attends the Cancer Support Walks with her husband, Mark, where she supports him as his carer.
What inspired you to start volunteering on the SW Coast Path?
I have lived in North Devon since 1998 and have been a keen walker for many years but my first real encounter with the Coast Path Association was on a walk led by Huw Davies, Community Engagement lead N Devon organised through the Fern Centre. I didn’t realise until then that there are roles volunteeering as a walk leader. It was on a Long Walkers outing that I chatted to Huw about training as a walk leader. I was a bit worried about having enough time to commit to training and walk leading but was reassured that there weren’t any time deadlines to meet.
Fast forward to the end of 2025 and I completed my training. Most of it was done on walks and the hardest part was booking a 1st Aid course that didn’t clash with work or other commitments. I got my certificate in December. I was surprised what a sense of achievement I felt and it was the best early Christmas present.
Can you share a story where you felt you really made an impact?
The North Devon Coastal Walks for Carers group was set up last year and as an unpaid carer myself this was a walk lead I was really keen to take on. I lead the walks with the support of one of Devon Carers Peer Support officers. I can honestly say that I get just as much out of it as the effort I put in and it’s good to feel a sense of continuity and to have your own special group. Several people have said that it’s one of the few times they can get out for some excercise and have a break and that also, because they are going to an organised event, it’s easier for them to arrange to get out for a few hours. The peer support element of the walks is really important, there are several friendships that have formed and some of us usually have a coffee and a chat afterwards. Getting out for a walk and a coffee is such a small simple thing for many but for some people it’s really hard to do and something of a lifeline to enrich their lives.
What do you enjoy most about leading or supporting community walks?
The coast path is an amazing asset that we’re so lucky to have on our doorstep and through my involvement I’ve been able to see how much enjoyment people get from engaging with the path and with each other. A lot of people like the idea of a walk but don’t know where to start, where to go, where to park or what direction to go in. As we organise the walks for them, it makes it much easier for them to just turn up, join in and enjoy.
What does the SW Coast Path mean to you personally?
I think the path means different things to me on different days. When I’m walking with other people it’s a place to chat and share our enjoyment of the outdoors. Other days especially when life gets busy or stressful I enjoy walking on my own and it’s a place for peace and quiet and a chance to hit that reset button. Since last autumn I’ve been taking short breaks away to Cornwall and Dorset to explore sections of the path further afield so it’s become a place to be curious and discover new places.
What are you most proud of from your volunteering journey?
I’m proud to be a volunteer for the SWCPA as I’ve seen how important the work that it does is in connecting people not only with the coast path but with each other. I’ve met so many lovely people and made some good friends leading and participating in walks. I was on a walking holiday in Dorset last week with 4 friends who I’ve met through the SWCPA to celebrate one of us completing the path and walk the last few sections together. I didn’t know any of them a couple of years ago.
Hopefully I’m only at the beginning of my volunteering journey. I look forward to many more years of many more walks and meeting many more people.
Ian Banfield – Community Engagement Volunteer, Plymouth
Ian has been volunteering with the Plymouth Coast Path Connectors hub for 2 years. He organises and leads the fortnightly Cancer Support walks, alongside his lovely dog, Bracken, who is very much part of the group!
How did you first get involved with the South West Coast Path and the charity?
As a keen walkers, from our teens, walking routes on Dartmoor, the Welsh mountains, Lake District and along the Coast path, when it was known as the South West Way, my wife and I joined the SWCPA in 2017, as means of supporting the Association, for the enjoyment we have from walking along it. We still have a section of the path to complete in Dorset. My wife encouraged me to volunteer in response to an article in the SWCPA magazine, as we regularly walk sections of the path around Plymouth.
What’s the most rewarding part of engaging with the community on these walks?
Being in the natural environment, of the coast path seems to relax and invigorate people, who are usually happy to talk and share their enjoyment and enthusiasm, some discovering the path for the first time and others who have succumbed to it’s charm and are regular visitors
How do you think these walks help people connect with nature?
When I started volunteering I was surprised by how many people were unaware of the `Path`, despite living close to it. Promoting the `Path` and getting people out in the Countryside and on the Coast helps them experience and appreciate the Natural environment in ways they may not have done before.
How do you think the community walks benefit people’s wellbeing?
The participants in the walking groups I’ve been involved with seem to enjoy the physical activity walking provides, but also benefit from the comaradarie that comes from being within a group, undertaking a shared task, some are undergoing, or have experienced, health challenges and some share their experiences with each other providing moral and emotional support.
What does being a volunteer mean to you?
Volunteering gives me the opportunity to share my interest with others, some new to walking and the `Path`, and others with similar experience and interests. It is quite rewarding to see the enjoyment participants gain on the walks, meeting new `friends`, overcoming challenges and visiting places that they would not have done without the Association and its Connectors team.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of our volunteers. They are truly the beating heart of the charity, and we simply couldn’t achieve what we do without their support. We are incredibly grateful for the commitment and dedication shown by all those who give their time to the South West Coast Path—your contribution makes a lasting difference.
If you’ve felt inspired reading our volunteer stories, and would like to find out more about volunteering at the South West Coast Path Association, head to: Volunteer at the SWCP
The South West Coast Path 