Access Fund Annual Report 2017
Introduction
The Access Fund was launched in September 2014 as part of the celebrations for the tenth anniversary of open access in the Peak District. The access fund helps to build on the legacy of access in the National Park with those who care for this special place for the inspiration and enjoyment of all.
The Access Fund is ring-fenced for access improvements throughout the National Park. This includes new and replacement access points, new and improved paths and access, and signage.
Contributions
Groups
The Clarion Ramblers - £1182
Clarion Ramblers have a long history of enjoying and campaigning for access to the Peak District moors. Sales from the Clarion handbooks have raised £1182 for the Access Fund this year. These are sold at the quarterly Peak District Local Access Forum meetings and at selected outlets. The donations from the sales of these handbooks are given to continue the work to improve access
Sheffield CHA Rambling Club – £100
The Club became aware of the Access Fund at a presentation to a British Mountaineering Council area meeting in 2016 and has again contributed this year towards the work being done to improve access.
Glynis Judd, Vice President, Sheffield CHA Rambling Club
“The Club will celebrate it's Centenary in 2018. We love and treasure the Peak District and are aware that, having trampled all over it for one hundred years, we may be responsible for a little erosion! So we have decided, as a club, to make an annual donation to the Access Fund, as a contribution towards the repair of footpaths, gates and stiles. With grateful thanks for work done so far to the benefit of all Peak District walkers.”
Businesses
Yorkshire Water - £5000
Yorkshire Water donated £5000 to the Access Fund for accessibility training and promotion of Miles without Stiles - the National Park brand of accessible routes. Yorkshire Water made the donation because they were developing routes round their reservoirs to give as many people as possible access and felt that this was a great way to let people know where the best accessible paths could be found.
Peak Walking Adventures - £50
Peak Walking Adventures chose the Access Fund as one of their charities to support this year as all the money goes toward improving access to the beautiful hills and moorlands of the Peak District for walkers and other users to enjoy. The donation thank you was displayed on their Facebook page to show their support for access.
Events
Peak Skyline - £260
Peak Skyline is an annual event which takes in the peaks in the Peak - Roaches, Shutlingsloe and Shining Tor. The organisers made a further donation in 2017 for this year’s event.
Individuals
Donations totalling £590 were received from the following individuals keen to support access improvements within the Peak District National Park.
- John and Rosie Thompson
- Edwina Edwards
- Peter and Glynis Judd
- Philip Shaw
- Steve Strong
Commemorations
Rotary Club of Matlock - £283
A bequest on behalf of Brain Crowshaw was made by the Rotary Club of Matlock to improve signage on the Limestone Way and celebrate Brian’s long-standing involvement with this route and the White Peak.
Peak Horse Power - £100
In 2017, Wendy Neilson, the first chair of Peak Horsepower stepped down, and members of the horse riding group marked the occasion by raising money to go towards ‘Wendy’s Gate’ on a section of bridleway near the Monsal Trail and for other access improvements in the Peak District.
Bob Harrison - £250
The life of Bob Harrison and his love of the Peak District was commemorated by a donation to the Access Fund for access improvements for the inspiration and enjoyment of all.
Improvements
New and Retained Access
Torgate Concession Path - £1400.53
We negotiated with the landowners to retain this important concession path when the farm was sold. The route of the path has changed with the change of ownership yet continues to provide access to open access land and to the Cat and Fiddle. The works included installing 3 gates and 15 waymarker posts.
Gates & Stiles
Litton - £335.37
Two new gates improved the access to Tansley and Litton Dale making a circuit of down dale and up dale even more enticing.
Cracknowl Bridleway – £47.48
A donation from Peak Horse Power targeted work on this well-used gate which included clearing vegetation to make the opening wider and making adjustments to the self-closing mechanism to make it slower.
Path Repairs
Ringing Roger - £6085.18
In 2016, the crowdfunding campaign by the British Mountaineering Council raised money to pay for repairs to the path leading to Ringing Roger from Edale. In 2017, the donations paid for the path to be stone pitched by a specialist in upland path repairs and for grass seed to help revegetate the path and prevent further erosion.
Castleton - £1000
Improvements to the path surface and drainage on the track leading to Castleton Rotary Centre and on a particularly boggy footpath in the area have been initiated and co-ordinated by the Rotary Charity with the support of landowners, the National Park Authority and the Highway Authority. A donation from the Access Fund was made towards the cost of this with the remainder of the cost funded by Derbyshire County Council and the Rotary Charity. Further support came in the form of design input at no charge from Eastwood and Partners and donations of materials from Hope Cement Works and Tensar International.
Signage
The Limestone Way - £283
The donation from the Rotary Club of Matlock has enabled a new signpost at Flagg and the purchase of 108 waymarks to highlight the route of the Limestone Way for its enjoyment now and for many years to come. National Park Rangers have also been undertaking other works to improve access along this popular long-distance route supported by Derbyshire County Council as the Highway Authority.
Accessibility Training
Miles without Stiles Training - £1363.87
The donation from Yorkshire Water enabled more than 40 members of National Park Authority staff to improve their understanding of access by the less-able and to develop skills in auditing paths. The training is part of our work in identifying accessible routes and to be able to offer a warm welcome to those wanting to explore the National Park’s special qualities.
Summary
This is the third year of the Access Fund following its introduction in September 2014 to improve access in the Peak District National Park.
This third annual report provides details of your support for access and the improvements that are taking place.
More access improvements are being progressed. Updates will be provided in the Access and Rights of Way Newsletter and to the Local Access Forum which provides support and guidance for this work.
Please help us to do more for more.
Contributions January to December 2017
- Groups - £1282.00
- Businesses - £5050.00
- Events - £260.00
- Individuals - £590.00
- Commemorations - £633.00
- TOTAL £7815.00
Expenditure January to December 2017
- New/Retained Access - £1400.53
- Gates and Stiles - £382.85
- Path Repairs - £7085.18
- Signage - £283.00
- Accessibility Training - £1363.87
- TOTAL £10515.43