Go Jauntly App set to make outdoor adventure a walk in the park

by Startacus Admin

You could argue that technology has got a little in the way of recreational pursuit and outdoor adventure. Admittedly many of us (and perhaps sadly, many a child) would much prefer to sit behind a screen, than to go outside and make one's own adventures in the great outdoors.

That’s why we are liking the look of Go Jauntly, a new App that promotes walking, helps you to discover and curate walks and share your outdoor adventures with friends. A case of the technology, on this occasion, leading us along the way to accessing the paths, trails, and hidden countryside that is often or not, right on our doorstep.

Go Jauntly is the creation of a group of Londoners who all work together at a tech startup. It is designed to help people find local walks created by the people who know them, create their own and share them with friends. As recent headlines have shown, busy lives and desk jobs make it difficult to live healthily, and modern life is harming the health of the nation.

This week the public beta V1.0 launched in the Apple App store following successful testing with a bank of private beta users, with the team now focussing on additional functionality to take the app out of beta.

Powered by TFL’s open data, and with backing from Ordnance Survey in the form of a £10k grant from their Geovation fund (that supports startups who are using location based tech), the founders are hoping that this tech for good project creates meaningful social, environmental and long lasting health improvement.

There’s big focus currently on London to launch and grow Go Jauntly

A recent study by TfL shows that Londoners make 3.6 million daily journeys by car, motorcycle, taxi or public transport that could be walked, at least in part. The Go Jauntly team were motivated by this and all the compounding science and evidence that highlights the health and wellness benefits of walking. Londoners will also be also be able to keep a track of London-wide air pollution levels through the app.

The walks that have so far been created for the launch of the app include walks in South-East London’s ancient cemeteries with great views to strolls through Richmond park, or even hidden gems a little more centrally in Regents Park. There are over 7,000 minutes of walks in the app with 40 in London and others in Suffolk and Kent. These initial walks are in the app to encourage people to go and explore outdoors but also to inspire people to create their own and share them with other Go Jauntly members.

The next steps for the company are to continue working on additional features, further integration of Transport for London’s (TFL) open data, building up the community, adding more walks from further afield and organising some real-life local jaunts where everyone is welcome to tag along.

Here at Startacus, we hope that Go Jauntly grows quickly in popularity and that as that community grows, that more regional routes and paths are added, with new adventures discovered and curated across the whole of the UK - perhaps Ireland after that?! But either way, we hail the team's endeavors in creating an App that has walking and Tech for Good at its heart (or feet!?)

Good luck Go Jauntly. We like it alot. Now we’re off for a walk! (why not drop them a tweet to pass on your thoughts and congrats too!)

If you like the look of Go Jauntly, you might want to also check out our recent features on:

Campsited - a platform that enables campers and holiday seekers to find and book campsites, touring parks and holiday parks

Wilderness Now - an online platform with a focus on promoting outdoor activities and adventures in the UK

 

• #tech for good
• #walking
• #outdoor adventures
• #go jauntly
• #london
• #countryside
• #geovation
• #tfl open data

Published on: 26th April 2017