Pathways to a Living Roadmap is the second strategic gathering of Lough Neagh stakeholders, convened by South Tyrone Empowerment Programme (STEP), Development Trusts NI (DTNI) and Lough Neagh Development Trust (LNDT).

Building on work supported through the Northern Ireland Office Connect Fund, this initiative seeks to bring together expertise in waterways, land management and community leadership to address the urgent challenges facing our landscapes — including pollution, declining water quality, and the wider ecological and environmental crises impacting waterways across the UK.

In early February, DTNI and STEP facilitated a study visit to the Wye and Usk river valleys in Wales. Supported by Northstar Transition, the delegation met with Welsh farmers, Welsh Water, civil engineers and environmental campaigners who are responding to severe ecological pressures within their own catchment. The visit offered practical insight into cross-sector collaboration, community mobilisation and long-term environmental restoration.

Our gathering on 19 March provides an opportunity to:

• Share key learning from the Wye/Usk experience
• Hear directly from those leading change on the ground
• Reflect collectively on what these lessons mean for Lough Neagh
• Identify the critical next steps in shaping a Pathway to a Living Roadmap