As the Harbour2Harbour Walk, sponsored by award-winning developer Dandara, looks to the future, organisers are planning to trial a route for mobility scooters during this year’s event.

Volunteer mobility scooter users, assisted by organisers and members of the charity Beach Buddies, will try out a section of the route between Port Erin and Castletown during the walk on Sunday 21st May, to see if the inclusion of a dedicated route is viable for future years.

The aim is to make the Harbour2Harbour Walk, now in its fourth year, even more accessible to the community. Steps to promote inclusion have already been taken for 2017 with a shorter alternative route, joining the main walk at Port St Mary, being introduced for the first time.

Event Co-ordinator Janet Bridle said: ‘The Harbour2Harbour Walk is a community event and we want to get as many people as possible involved. Participation has grown steadily over the first three years and we hope to see even more people coming along this year thanks to the introduction of a second, shorter route.

‘Thinking ahead to 2018 and beyond, we’ve decided to see whether a section of the route is suitable for mobility scooter users. As the walk takes place we’ll be working with some mobility scooter users, supported by volunteers from Beach Buddies, to see if the idea is viable for the future. The trial will depend on weather and conditions, but we are hopeful it will go ahead.

‘If it proves a success we hope to be able to welcome more people to the 2018 Harbour2Harbour Walk.’

This year’s Dandara-sponsored Harbour2Harbour Walk begins on Port Erin beach at 10am and follows a nine-mile coastal route to Castletown. The second route, starting next to the RNLI station in Port St Mary at 11am, covers around five and a half miles.

The coastal walk is organised by Southern Community Initiatives (SCI) to raise money for a number of important local community projects. Based at The Hub - Thie Rosien in Castletown Road, Port Erin -  SCI is home to several initiatives including community art and creative writing projects, crafts, friendly bridge and board games, yoga, meditation and a thriving social fitness group. Its aim is to tackle isolation and loneliness by bringing people together through community projects, as well as promoting volunteering, inclusive communities, and providing a place for socialising and encouraging community collaboration and activities.

This year money will also be donated to Beach Buddies, recognising the work volunteers do removing litter from the coastline along the walk route.

It is hoped last year’s record-breaking entry of 319 walkers will be beaten, and the almost ?4,000 raised for charity will be surpassed. More than 200 people have already registered for the 2017 walk online.

Welcoming the plan to introduce a route for mobility scooter users, Isle of Man MS Society Chairman Derek Patience said: ‘It’s great to have the opportunity for some of our members to actually be able to participate in a fundraising event like this, rather than just being the beneficiary of funding raised.

‘If the route proves to be safe, suitable and accessible to mobility scooters, we would certainly be interested in encouraging our members to participate in 2018.’

Dandara Managing Director Seamus Nugent added: ‘The Harbour2Harbour Walk is very much a community event which invites everyone, young and old, to get involved. It’s not a competition, just an opportunity for people to come together, share a walk through the Manx countryside and help raise vital funds for important causes.

‘The introduction of a second, shorter route this year will encourage greater community participation, and we’re delighted to see the organisers are now looking at ways for even more people to get involved in future years. We hope the trial of a route for mobility scooter users proves successful.’

To enter or find out more about the event, please email H2Hreg@hubclubsci.im, call Janet on 838180 or visit www.hubclubsci.im. You can also stay up-to-date with the latest news via Facebook www.facebook.com/harbour2harbour.