Fix the Fells campaign launched by Kim
The natural erosion caused by wind, ice and water is extremely slow. When you introduce feet the process speeds up rapidly and spoils the look of the landscape. It also makes paths unpleasant to walk on. The Lake District National Park Authority has identified 145 paths which have become eroded, mainly by the Lake District weather and 28 million feet walking in the area each year. By donating to this project, you can contribute towards Lake District footpath repair teams who are working hard to fix the fells.
To repair the majority of the footpath erosion in the English Lake District National Park, The Lake District National Park Authority, The National Trust and English Nature worked together to produce a management plan. With help from The Lake District Tourism and Conservation Partnership and Friends of the Lake District, they are committed to raising the funds necessary to pay for fell path repairs.
On the 'Fix the Fells' website, Kim says: "I do quite a lot of walking in the Lake District, particularly on Cat Bells and Causey Pike. It is vital we keep the footpaths safe for future generations. I want my children Harry (6) and Rose (4) to be able to walk on the paths I have enjoyed. If we are going to enjoy them and keep them safe, urgent work has got be carried out to preserve them, so I want to encourage people to wholeheartedly support the Fix the Fells appeal.
"Once these footpaths have been destroyed there is no going back. We have to fix them now. It is so easy to take them for granted, until one day they will be gone. The time has come to act, to protect them and keep them safe for our children and our grandchildren. I love the Lakes, I had my honeymoon and conceived my first child here! My parents-in-law live near Derwent Water so we get up as often as we can."
Donations for the project can be made via the website. Any donation is tripled by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Kirstie Royce, from the 'Fix the Fells' project, said an online appeal was chosen to enable people from all over the world to help. She said: "We know we are asking a lot from people - £5m is a massive total. But we're confident that people who love the Lake District, no matter where they live or how often they walk here, will want to lend their support and help us reach our total as quickly as possible."
