Fix the Fells is a partnership project led by the Lake District National Park Authority with the National Trust and Natural England.
It is a brand new project that started on 1 January 2007 and will end on 31 December 2011. It will:
- Undertake audience development designed to encourage greater understanding of and support for access to the fells by both existing users and identified target audiences.
- Provide training and development for all staff, volunteers and contractors involved in the project.
- Continue repairing seriously eroded landscapes and associated paths resulting from access coupled with the effects of the Lake District climate.
- Increasingly concentrate on transferring the practical work away from the larger projects, towards smaller, pre-emptive type works.
The total cost of the project is £2,990,000. The Heritage Lottery Fund will contribute £1,965,000 as long as the partners source the remaining £1,025,000.Other than the partners, match funding has been pledged from:
- Friends of the Lake District
- Tourism and Conservation Partnership
- Ramblers Association
Everyone can help by being aware of their impact on the fell. Every single person has some impact:
- Place your feet thoughtfully; every single footstep causes wear and tear on the environment. The slow-growing plants that can survive on mountains are particularly vulnerable to trampling.
- Keep to the path surface; do not walk along the vegetation at the edge of the path.
- Do not build or add to cairns – paths need stones more than cairns.
- Do not take shortcuts – water will soon follow your tracks and an erosion scar will develop.
- Remember, there may be only one of you, but there are another 12 million pairs of feet treading Lake District paths every year.
Donate to the Fix the Fells appeal – online at www.fixthefells.co.uk or direct to the Lake District National Park Authority or National Trust. Volunteer for the project – details from Tim Duckmanton 01539 792674
