National Trails UK: INNOVATION ON THE TRAILS

This November, the National Trails UK Summit returns for its second edition, bringing together leaders from government, industry, and the trail delivery community to explore how innovation is shaping the future of our National Trails.

This summit’s theme, Innovation on the Trails, will spotlight how National Trails are delivering impact at scale, supporting nature recovery, improving health and wellbeing, and creating more inclusive and accessible outdoor spaces.

Through a dynamic programme of keynotes, lightning talks and panel discussions, the Summit will showcase pioneering projects from across the trail network. Attendees will hear directly from those delivering change on the ground, while gaining insight into how collaborative investment and partnership can unlock even greater national impact.

The day is designed to do more than inform. It’s built to connect. From trail officers and rangers to corporate partners and policymakers, the Summit creates space to share ideas, build relationships, and explore how to support and scale innovative work across all 21 National Trails. It also will be an opportunity to mark the 30th anniversary of the Thames Path. 

Whether you’re shaping policy, making impactful ESG partnerships, or delivering work on the ground, this is an opportunity to understand where National Trails UK is heading and how you can be part of it.

Who is the NTUK Summit for?

We have designed this day not just to showcase the amazing innovations happening across the National Trails network, but to bring together the teams working on the National Trails with policy experts, (potential) partners and funders, so that together we can ensure the National Trails deliver for people and nature.

What is happening at the NTUK Summit?

We have planned a day full of talks, presentations, panels and networking so that everyone gets the best value for their money and time. If you are working in nature recovery, visitor economy, access and inclusion, working in the coastal margin, or working on the National Trails, you want to be there.

Agenda
We’re in the process of confirming speakers, and we’ll keep updating this page as we do.

9.30 Arival and networking

10.00 Welcome to the Thames Path National Trail – Wendy Tobbitt, Partnership Chair and Hannah Gutteridge, National Trail Officer

10.15 National Trails UK Keynote – Polly Martin, CEO National Trails UK

10:35 Session 1 Lightening Talks: National Trails, visitor economy and inclusion. Supported by Outdoor Active.  

- Rhys Gwyn Roberts, Wales Coast Path Officer and Natural Resources Wales: From campaign design to on the ground impact – marketing and promoting trails in Wales

- Gini Mitchell, Wild with Wheels, and Sara Moon, Kent Downs National Landscape: What’s next after the ‘Putting Down Routes’ project on the North Downs Way National Trail?

- Sue Hilder, Sustainable Travel and Access Manager at Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority: Inclusion in the international context: reporting back from the World Trails Conference 2026

10:50 Session 2 Innovation in the visitor economy

National Trails are vital for many tourism businesses, and connect millions of people each year to the outdoors. But how much do we understand the audiences for the National Trails? And what does that mean for the businesses along National Trails? Drawing on National Trails UK’s first-of-its-kind market research and website development, this session is a must, to understand the opportunity to build an inclusive community around the National Trails.

11:45 Session 3  What does it mean to feel welcome on the National Trails?

Many National Trails are actively trying to broaden the people who feel they belong on the National Trails. Infrastructure is upgraded, successful projects have been run, and training has been rolled out. How do we  move from individual projects to a more strategic approach? What could the role for NTUK be? And what  changes might we all need to make to have the biggest impact?

Panel chaired by Craig Grimes, Experience Community

12:30 Session 4  National Trails: A view from Westminster

With a new CEO at Natural England, and new Minister in DEFRA, what do they see as the key opportunities for National Trails in the next year?

Keynote from Jenny Riddel-Carpenter, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at Defra.

14:00 Session 5 Lightening talks – Nature Recovery and Coastal Wildbelt

Setting the scene for the afternoon, hear from our 2025-26 Test and Trial recipients around how small investment in innovative ideas results in big impact for our National Trails.

14:15 Session 6 National Trails and nature recovery

Discover how National Trails are collaborating with partners to deliver innovative and evidence led change at landscape scale, becoming living corridors for people and nature.

Emma Ball, Specialist Ecological Advisor, Plantlife Biodiversity Consultancy will introduce our pioneering work habitat baselining National Trail corridors.

Our three pilot trails - the Cotswold Way, Coast to Coast Path and Ridgeway -  will then share their experiences and key learnings.

15:00 Session 7  What is Coastal Wildbelt?

Coastal Wildbelt is a once in a generation chance to deliver for people and nature at the coast. Explore the unique opportunity Coastal Wildbelt has to work with communities and young people, landowners and funders to deliver at scale, and how the work of Coastal Wildbelt is particularly relevant now.

Presentations by Tom Kennedy, Chair of the National Trails UK Coast Path Forum and Julian Gray, NTUK Trustee, discussing how Coastal Wildbelt came to be, and how the initiative can support coastal National Trails to deliver more for people and nature, together around our dynamic coastline.

Followed by a panel chaired by Sarah Mukherjee, CEO Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals. Here, panelists including David Cope, Duchy of Cornwall; Lisa Sensier, National Parks Partnership, Mary-Ann Ochota, Protected Landscapes Partnership will unpick why a Coastal Wildbelt is needed, and why the time is now to invest in our coastal National Trails.

Accessibility

We are committed to making the National Trails UK Summit as inclusive and accessible as possible. The National Archives, Kew offers step-free access throughout, with lifts, accessible toilets (including a Changing Places facility), hearing loops in key spaces, and accessible parking with nearby drop-off points.

Quiet spaces, including a contemplation and prayer room, are available, and assistance dogs are welcome.

We are also designing the event itself with accessibility in mind, this includes clear pre-event information, inclusive catering, and a range of formats to support different ways of engaging.

If you have specific access requirements, please let us know when booking so we can support you fully. Full venue details can be found here.