Mend Our Mountains is funding a new role of an Access Officer to facilitate and unlock a wide range of work focused on access and removing barriers.
This role's key responsibilities are:
To allocate and manage the ‘Removing Barriers’ funding (£254,000 of funding awarded from DEFRA for the 2024/25 year) for work on improving access in the Cotswolds which will make the protected landscape more accessible to people of all ages and abilities and from all backgrounds.
To facilitate the widening and resurfacing of paths for multi-user use, replacement of gates, additional seating areas, accessible signage and visitor information and disabled toilet facilities.
To unlock the huge potential of access to the AONB, enabling fantastic projects to be delivered on the ground.
The Cotswold Area of National Beauty alone gets 37 million day visits a year. There are over 150,000 people living in Cotswolds and the Cotswolds spread across 6 counties - the results of the funding will have significant regional impact.
You can help to further support the work of the Cotswolds AONB by donating through MOM.
Learn more about the invaluable work we are supporting across England and Wales. The BMC has raised over £1.4 million so far for the Mend Our Mountains Project. That's 50 miles of fragile footpath restored for future generations. 544 miles of upland repaired - the equivalent to over 67,000 double decker buses so far!
Mend Our Mountains will fund a ranger service to support the work of the 'Fix the Fells' teams in the Lake District National Park for a year. Money raised will be used directly for path repair and would allow the teams the flexibility to use the money when and where it is most needed.
Mend Our Mountains will be restoring the access routes on one of the North East’s most iconic peaks: Roseberry Topping. The Pathway Restoration project will focus on ten sections of path around and leading to the top of Roseberry Topping that need repair.
The South Downs Way National Trail climbs Washington Bostal (a sunken chalk trackway) up towards Chanctonbury Ring. The surface of the bostal, which is a public bridleway, has deteriorated with deep ruts making it difficult for walkers, cyclists and equestrians to negotiate. Mend Our Mountains will fund the regrading and repair of the 800m trackway.
'Get Stuck In!' is a key part of helping repair our paths, and it does exactly what it says on the tin. By signing up to a volunteer session you have an opportunity to get out on the hillside, learn new skills and meet like-minded people whilst making a real difference to our wild places. Take a look at the upcoming footpath repair volunteer days we have available this year on our Mend our Mountains projects. Get stuck in!
