A unique crowdfunding campaign has been launched to raise money for much needed environmental projects at some of Britain’s most iconic peaks called ‘Mend Our Mountains’.
Booming visitor numbers and smaller budgets, compounded by the extensive damage of the recent floods, means that the UK’s national park authorities and conservation bodies are struggling to keep up.
Working with eight national parks, the BMC aims to raise enough money, more than £100,000, to repair damaged paths on some of Britain’s most popular peaks. Including both the respective highest mountains of England and Wales – Scafell Pike and Snowdon.
The ‘Mend Our Mountains’ campaign will also feature Ingleborough (Yorkshire Dales), Kinder Scout (Peak District) and part of the Brecon Beacons Horseshoe, as well as vital repairs to moorland on Dartmoor, Exmoor and the North York Moors.
If the same number of people who walked up Snowdon in a year alone gave just 20p, we would hit our target.
Carey Davies, BMC hill walking officer, said
“We want to provide a financial lifeline for national parks at a time of need. To make this happen, everyone who loves the outdoors needs to come together. If the same number of people who walked up Snowdon in a year alone gave just 20p, we would hit our target.”
“More people experiencing the outdoors is great news, improving our collective health, enriching our culture, encouraging engagement with nature, and keeping rural economies alive. But it puts pressure on the landscape.”
“Over time, the steady pounding of feet can blight the mountains, causing erosion scars that harm the local ecology and ruin people’s enjoyment…”
The Mend Our Mountains campaign will run for two months, until 16 May. This is a fundraising appeal with a difference. It will be powered by crowdfunding, so donors will receive a reward in return, including personal experiences donated by outdoor personalities, mountaineers, national parks and the outdoor industry.
Many of the rewards are amazing, unique experience such as:
- A walk in Borrowdale in the Lake District and pub lunch with Sir Chris Bonington.
- A day of trad climbing tuition for two people in Snowdonia with top climber James McHaffie
- Helicopter ride in The Yorkshire Dales in a helicopter which lifts stone for path repair for four people
- VIP tickets to the finish of the Devon stage of the Tour of Britain
There are loads more rewards to choose from… you can seem the full list on the pledge page: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/mendourmountains
As lovers of the outdoors – we’ve all contributed, albeit unintentionally, to the wear and tear of our beautiful national parks. This is a great chance for us to give something back and with so many areas potentially benefiting from the crowdfunding – there is sure to be somewhere on the list close to your heart!
Locations available for crowdfunding support…
- Watkin Path on Snowdon, North Wales
- Ringing Roger on Kinder, Peak District
- Waun Rydd in central Brecon Beacons
- High Moor on Dartmoor
- Swine Tail, Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales
- Scafell Pike in the Lake District
- Lyke Wake Walk in the North York Moors
- Long Chains Combe in Exmoor Forest
TV presenter Julia Bradbury said:
“It’s easy to take the paths beneath our feet for granted when we’re walking in the hills, yet footpaths are the arteries of the hills when it comes to enabling people to access the mountains sustainably. I’ve been fortunate to walk along many footpaths that have formed part of our landscape for hundreds of years and which now need our help.”
You can pledge to the ‘Mend our Mountains’ project as a whole with all the money raised being divied equally between all the projects, or you can specify which project you would like to pledge money too.
For more information visit the Crowdfunder website here.
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