Creating a Community of Mappers

The Public Map Platform (PMP) research is centred around the communities of Ynys Môn and holds the ethos of collaborative working. We are in the process of building not just a public map, but a community of mappers which can sustain the longevity and legacy of the project. We are doing this by bridging the gap between data collection and community building.

Our aim is to use the methods set out by the project’s digital team using open-source mapping tools to enlist the help of the whole community to gather and input meaningful, tangible data that will make a difference to the future of the people on Ynys Môn (also see our blog, We can all now be mappers).

We are starting this journey within our own PMP team. We have employed three cohorts of Community Mappers to create a robust team based at the heart of the island in Llangefni. The Mappers were chosen from a wide range of applicants due to their varied skillsets, experience and knowledge of the local culture and language.

Within the team there are a number of recently graduated individuals who have openly expressed that the opportunity of the project has enabled them to either stay on the island or return to the island, which may not have been possible otherwise due to the lack of graduate employment opportunities.

The cohort approach has enabled us to instil a peer-to-peer approach of learning and training with the mapping technology. This in turn will help build a supportive culture of teaching and passing on the mapping baton to the local community.

We are continually impressed and overwhelmed by the knowledge in the group, and this has undoubtedly added significant value to the data collection process. It will help us form a myriad of purposeful and worthwhile layers to the map, utilising the skills and knowledge within the team.

One way in which we are doing this is by incorporating passion project layers. This enables the Mappers to formulate and collect data that is important to them and what they feel would be valuable within the wider community. They are adding substance and bringing a diverse range of perspectives to the map, whilst ensuring we are capturing where the gaps are located and making a difference to more deprived areas on the island.

Building a sense of community is clearly demonstrated within our office team environment and I feel a sense of pride of what we are building and achieving. The Mapper team are working cohesively to map the island using Open Street Map, ensuring community assets, local businesses and valuable open-source data are visible, ensuring information is readily available to anyone.

The Mappers span every element of the project and are an essential part of the mapping process. They are working alongside the Environmental, Cultural and Social project strands. As well as being a huge part of the engagement activities over the summer. They will play a vital role in the next phase of the project working with schools and local community groups.

What we are creating together is a sustainable resource in which everyone is able to map what’s important to them in a supportive dialogue to help shape the future of the area. This is a journey of bringing people together as well as data - we are creating a community of Mappers!