Supporting access improvements in the Peak District National Park through the Alpkit Foundation and staff volunteer days.
This year will be 70 years since the creation of the Peak District National Park, the UK’s first national park. As part of this the Anniversary Gates project is aimed at highlighting and supporting their commitment to improving access for all, whilst also celebrating access through their anniversary years.
The outdoors is so good and we certainly know how important it is to help and encourage people to go nice places, do good things. So with the Alpkit Foundation we are super excited to support the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) in their work to remove barriers for people, such as this project replacing stiles with gates to create a more accessible walking route. We’re delighted to fund the work on access improvements at the National Trust's Ossams Hill in the Manifold Valley. When completed this walk can be reached from Wetton Tea Rooms, linking in areas of Access Land with the Manifold Miles without Stiles easy access route.
Here at Alpkit it’s hugely important staff feel that they have the opportunity to do something to directly help too, so within our staff volunteering days scheme we worked with the PDNPA to arrange to put further support to the work happening here. It was a really special thing to be able to spend a day out on the hill replacing stiles in this stunning location, with the aim of encouraging and helping more people to be able to get out and benefit from it.
This was just one project we have lined up working with the PDNPA and Alpkit staff have enthusiastically taken up the opportunity to get out and volunteer on a number of other projects through the year.
Sue Smith, Access and Rights of Way officer at the Peak District National Park let us know a bit more detail about the Anniversary Gates project and what the PDNPA were aiming to achieve.
“Access Land provides for a different type of access - one to wander at will - giving a feeling of escape and exploration in these inspirational landscapes important for their wildlife and habitats. Sometimes new access points or link paths are needed to access these areas and gaps or gates are the least restrictive means of access.
Last summer there was a huge sense of excitement and enjoyment from people, many of whom were visiting the National Park for the first time. This new and improved access, along with the information that people need to know about where they can explore, can open up and help look after these special areas.
Many thanks to Alpkit for helping us to improve access on the wild side"
In these difficult times everyone has come to realise the importance and value of engagement with the natural environment, and we hope to work together with the Access Fund on other schemes in future.
To find out more about volunteering with the Peak District National Park go HERE