People enjoying the coast and countryside of Lake District and Cumbria are being encouraged to be ‘AdventureSmart’ with the launch today of a new safety campaign – AdventureSmart.UK.
AdventureSmart UK is a roll out of the successful AdventureSmartWales campaign, first launched in 2018, part-funded by the Welsh Government. Building on the established AdventureSmartWales branding, a strong, eye-catching UK brand has been developed with the support of the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association and the JD Foundation. AdventureSmart Lake District Cumbria will be the first English region to join Wales in this innovative approach to communicating safety to the many people who explore the Lake District, Cumbria each year.
The Lake District National Park Authority are hosting a launch event today at Coniston Boating Centre. Chief Executive Richard Leafe said “As a national park the Lake District is open to everyone and many of our 19 million visitors enjoy the park every day without incident. However, unfortunately there are a rising number of avoidable accidents every year, placing a strain on our volunteer mountain rescue services. So we are delighted to join AdventureSmart in encouraging walkers and all adventurers to be better prepared before heading out.”
Whatever the activity, being AdventureSmart is about considering a few simple things to help your day stay great and to ensure that you return safe and sound looking forward to your next adventure. Experts from leading safety and sporting organisations have developed these messages to provide the essential information needed for people to get outdoors, confident that they have prepared for a great day.
People are prompted to ask three questions before they set off:
- Do I have the right gear?
- Do I know what the weather will be like?
- Am I confident I have the knowledge and skills for the day?
A new website, www.adventuresmart.uk provides all the information they need to answer these questions. Many partner organisations involved with tourism and outdoor recreation in the region will be joining forces to spread the AdventureSmart messages.
Gill Haigh, Managing Director of Cumbria Tourism said: “As Cumbria’s official destination management organisation, we are delighted that so many visitors want to experience exciting and memorable adventures in our beautiful county. Visitor safety and enjoyment is of the utmost importance to us and it is vital to highlight guidance on how to stay safe on the fells and in the lakes. We are proud to support the Adventure Smart initiative and are confident it will educate and inspire locals and tourists alike to get out and enjoy their own adventures in as knowledgeable, confident and secure manner as possible.”
