Fix the Fells is celebrating a record-breaking year.
In 2023, 130 volunteers gave over 2,768 days of their time to maintain paths and repair work in the Lake District fells.
They also managed scheduling and bookings calendar for path maintenance days, mentored new volunteers, managed the website and contributed to the operational planning of the project for a further 2,000 hours.
The organisation said their work delivered £255,000-worth of additional value to Fix the Fells on top of the work of a full-time team of 21 rangers.
Fix the Fells Partnership manager Isabel Berry, said: “Fix the Fells simply couldn’t function without its volunteers. Our volunteers provide essential input to our work, with responsibility for almost all our scheduled path maintenance. They also take on an annual programme of minor and ‘just in time’ repairs, which free up the rangers to tackle larger scale, longer duration and more technically challenging upland erosion repair activity.”
In December two volunteers received awards for reaching 1,000 days of volunteering with Fix the Fells, and several more were awarded certificates for 500 days of volunteering time gifted.
Alan Manby, one of the award recipients, who has notched up over 1,000 days with Fix the Fells said: “After many years of enjoyment in the Lake District it has been great working on the mountains, putting something back, protecting the environment, learning a range of new skills and spending time with a great bunch of people. What could be better?”
The benefits of their Fix the Fells volunteering are more than just the practical activity completed. The project’s most recent annual volunteer survey found that nearly two thirds of respondents stated that volunteering with Fix the Fells had provided them with physical health benefits as a result of being outdoors and being more active. Several survey respondents stated that volunteering had helped their mental health by increasing their social interaction.
Volunteer Christine Hurford said: “I fell in love with the Lakes when I was living in London and came up whenever I could. Now living here, it is great to be able to help maintain the paths.
“Some days you can be really tired and dirty by the end, but when you have coffee and cake or put your feet up later, you feel great. I’ve made lots of friends, what could be better for a day out? It is a never-ending task checking, repairing, clearing and improving the paths but I’ll keep going until I can’t.
“If you love being on the hills and mountains, are fit enough to get up them and not put off by a bit of rain, try applying to join. It is also good fun!”
Every year Fix the Fells takes on around 30 new volunteers, maintaining a group of around 130 and is now seeking its latest recruits.
Applications for the 2024 intake open on January 15 and close on February 16. For more information, visit https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/caringfor/volunteering/volunteer-roles/fix-the-fells-volunteer
