The end of the trail: discontinuing a community hiking programme

There is a paucity of research in the field of leisure studies on the reasons for, and outcomes associated with, recreation programme discontinuation or closure. Recreation programmes cease operation all the time, and often it is due to insufficient funding or staffing. However, without a systematic documentation of the lifespan of those programmes and the ramifications of programme cessation on participants, we will continue to only have an incomplete understanding of the broader value of recreation services. Thus, it is imperative to investigate the problems that may lead to the discontinuation of a recreation programme, as well as the holes they leave in their absence. Additionally, this research note simultaneously explores the role of burnout in key providers of those recreation programmes, seeking to provide an illustrative example of the arc of creation through discontinuation of a hiking programme for cancer survivors, and the role that inadequate support resources have on that ultimate decision. Bridging these two parallel concerns adds greater depth to the problem of recreation programme closures.