Swale Footpaths Group was formed in 1970, in order to: 

Collect and distribute information about footpaths and the public's rights and duties;

Keep watch over and defend rights of way; 

Help landowners and local councils by clearing paths, and making and erecting signs; 

Promote goodwill between farmers and footpath users;

Organise walks and encourage the responsible use of the amenities and countryside.

From '10 Walks Around Sittingbourne' ed. F J Nixon (1971), pub. Swale Footpaths Group.

In 1995 Swale Footpaths Group celebrated the opening of the Saxon Shore Way by arranging three local walks along part of the pre-Roman coastal route as reported by the East Kent Gazette.

The Group continues to thrive, with a regular programme of walks throughout the year.   

The aims are even more important as time goes by with the ever increasing pressures on the countryside and footpaths.