Mend Our Mountains is back for 2024 with six incredible access and conservation projects across England and Wales. This project is funded by the BMC’s Access and Conservation Trust charity (ACT) and we would like to thank all our members, supporters and volunteers for making vital work like this possible. Here’s what is happening this year as a result of your funding, including volunteering events you can get involved with.
Mend Our Mountains (MOM) is an award-winning, headline-grabbing campaign which has raised a total of £1.4 million since its creation in 2016 to repair Britain’s hills and mountains. Since then over 50 miles of fragile footpath has been restored for future generations and 544 miles of upland has been repaired - the equivalent length of over 67,000 double decker buses!
Senior Policy and Campaigns Manager Cath Flitcroft says, “We are thrilled to announce the six recipients of this year’s Mend Our Mountains funding. All are incredibly important projects run by dedicated and highly-skilled staff members and volunteers. They include funding an Access Officer for the Cotswolds AONB; funding a Fix the Fells ranger in the Lake District; restoring paths on Roseberry Topping in the North York Moors; fixing and making the footpath to Chanctonbury Ring in the South Downs more accessible; the replacement of Cressbrook Mill footbridge in the Peak District and many Get Stuck In volunteering opportunities with the National Trust in the Lake District, Snowdonia and Peak District.”
Chanctonbury Ring is an incredible prehistoric fort steeped in local folklore at the top of Chanctonbury Hill on the South Downs, West Sussex. Legend has it that if you run seven times round the Ring naked on a moonless night you summon the devil who will offer you a bowl of soup, milk or porridge. In reality, the only devilish thing is the track leading up to Chanctonbury Ring which has been badly eroded into deep ruts, making it difficult for people to access this historical site. This year MOM funding will go towards repairing 800m of track and drainage ditches using local chalk and flint in keeping with the character of the area.
The 20m (60ft) footbridge across the River Wye connecting the hugely popular Monsal Trail with the charmingly-named Water-Cum-Jolly Dale is in dire need of replacement. This picturesque hiking and climbing spot is where you’ll find Let the Tribe Increase on Rubicon Wall, BMC ambassador Steve McClures 1000th 8a climb. The bridge was declared unsafe and closed in 2020. Along with funding from Farming In Protected Landscapes (FiPL), MOM will provide additional funds to replace the bridge to maintain this popular access point for local communities and visitors alike.
Fix the Fells is a path repair conservation programme to protect paths in the Lake District UNESCO World Heritage site from erosion through regular repair and maintenance work parties and donations. For 2024 MOM will fund a Fix the Fells ranger for a year. The rangers work for the National Trust and are highly skilled in path restoration in tune with the natural landscape. They lead teams of volunteers from Cumbria and beyond in all weathers up into the mountains to restore and improve damaged footpaths. Want to help out? Join them here.
This iconic, mini-Matterhorn-shaped hill in North Yorkshire is a much-loved landmark in the Tees Valley area. As such, the 320m summit sees plenty of footfall and suffers from significant path erosion. Currently there are 10 areas of path around and to the top of Roseberry Topping that are in dire need of repair. In 2024 MOM funding will go towards all of these sections of eroded footpath so that hill-walkers can enjoy this mini-mountain safely.
The 800 square mile Cotswolds National Landscape (AONB) receives 37 million day visits a year, making MOM funding vital in ensuring safe passage for everyone who enjoys this protected area. For 2024 MOM will fund Nina Stubbington for one year in the role of Grants and Access Officer for the Cotswolds Natural Landscape. Originally from Bournemouth and with a background in retail, Nina has been their Grants and Outreach Officer for the past year already thanks to the New to Nature scheme run by Groundwork.
In her new role starting this April, Nina will be allocating the DEFRA ‘Removing Barriers’ funding of £254,000 for work that will improve access in the Cotswolds and make this protected landscape more accessible to people of all ages, abilities and from all backgrounds. Other work coordinated by Nina’s line manager, Access and Volunteer Lead Becky Jones, will include widening and resurfacing of paths for multi-user use, gate replacement, more seating, accessible signage and visitor information, and disabled toilet facilities.
If you’d like to get involved directly in MOM projects then Get Stuck In is the place for you! Working with the National Trust in the Lake District, Snowdonia and Peak District, often over 2-days with basic accommodation provided. Ten volunteering events have already happened and this year the 2024 MOM funding will enable the continuation of these conservation projects where they are needed the most. Not only will you be doing vital footpath repair work, drainage ditch digging, cairn-scattering and/or clearing litter and invasive species, but you will also have the opportunity to learn new skills and meet like-minded people. Simply sign up to a volunteer session to help out.
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