Building a foundation – a year on for our charity

YEAR MAKES What a difference a

The Peak District National Park Foundation celebrates 12 months as a registered charity – working hard to build support while funding its first projects.

It’s been a busy first year for the Peak District National Park Foundation and already local projects are benefitting from funds raised through the charity’s #70kfor70 campaign. The campaign aims to raise £70,000 ahead of the Peak District National Park’s 70th birthday in April 2021.

Foundation chair Jen Lowthrop says: “What a great start! I am so pleased with how our first year has gone. We’re just over half way to our #70kfor70 target and have already started to give funds to local projects.

“I’d like to thank everyone who bought a ticket for our Christmas raffle, which raised almost £2,000. A special thanks, too, to local businesses who donated some incredible prizes!

“Every penny of the money raised for #70kfor70 is going right back into projects to support our beautiful Peak District, so I urge you to spread the word, donate or get in touch if you’ve got an idea for a fundraising campaign. We’ve already got new projects, campaigns and celebrations underway for 2021, our 70th year as a National Park... so watch this space!” Find out more at www.peakdistrictfoundation.org.uk How time flies!

#70kfor70 will support a range of projects which care for the Peak District and help to make it a National Park for everyone. Projects include: • Peak District National Park Junior Rangers • Moors for the Future Partnership • South West Peak habitat restoration • Miles Without Stiles accessible routes • Conservation work on the Monsal, High Peak and Tissington trails • Stanage North Lees landscape conservation • Peak District Mosaic and Accessible Derbyshire • Peak District Health Walks

Wildlife, hedgerow conservation and hydro electricity projects are the first to benefit from funds through the Peak District National Park Foundation.

Grants have been awarded through the Foundation’s #70kfor70 campaign.

The Fairer for Nature gardening project in Buxton received £2,043 to encourage young people to improve their own – and other people’s – gardens for wildlife. Pinders Meadow charity in Hope was awarded £671 towards the cost of planting 300 mixed hedging plants to restore and enhance hedgerow and to provide nesting sites and food sources for birds.

Meanwhile, Bradwell Hydro Project was awarded £500, helping it to refurbish, upgrade and extend its waterpowered Christmas lights. The project works in conjunction with Bradwell Junior First projects receive funding

School, teaching children about renewable energy and sustainable power sources.

The South West Peak Landscape Partnership also received a grant of £2,500 from a generous donor, via the Foundation, to support the Elkstonian Society’s project to upgrade its village website and digitise archive material about the history of village life.

A life’s legacy John Keith Dunstone and Don Blagg.

Don Blagg is supporting the Foundation by raising money in memory of his friend, John Keith Dunstone.

Known as John in the USA but Keith in the UK, he died aged 81, last October in his adopted city of Toledo in Ohio, USA.

Despite emigrating to the USA many years ago, Keith maintained a lifelong love of the Peak District after first experiencing it as a teenager in the 1950s, soon after its designation as Britain’s original national park.

Now Don and Keith’s partner, Darla Culberson, are raising money for our Junior Rangers in his memory.

Don explains: “Keith was born and brought up in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire and became an apprentice mechanical engineer with Metal Box Co in the town. As apprentices, we were sent by the company on weekends to White Hall, near Buxton, where we’d go walking and climbing.

“We formed an ‘Adventure Club’ and enjoyed camping weekends in the Peak John Keith and Don with their friend Stew in the Peak District in the 1950s.

District – discovering Kinder Scout, the Edges, the Roaches and local hostelries.” Keith’s engineering skills took him to the USA where he designed equipment for companies in Ohio.

Don adds: “Keith retained his outdoor enthusiasm and for many years volunteered as a trail patroller for Metroparks Toledo, helping visitors and generally supervising the trails. So, we feel that supporting the Peak District National Park – and helping a new generation of young people to experience it – is a fitting tribute.”

Great support from businesses

Big thanks to all the businesses which are supporting the Foundation.

Sheffield-based Accelerate raised £256 through an in-store lucky dip while our new Peak Partners, run specialists Peak Running, hosted an event at Castleton Visitor Centre to highlight #70kfor70 to its clients.

Thanks to everyone who bought one of our lovely 2020 calendars from Phil Sproson Photography.

Exciting plans are brewing with White Peak Distillery, which is looking forward to 2021 when its first batch of Peak District Whiskey will be ready. Watch this space for lots of gin and whiskey themed happenings.

Step out for health The Co-op store in Baslow has chosen one of our #70kfor70 projects, Peak District Health Walks, as one of its Community Fund Causes.

Each year the Co-op donates 1% of its members’ annual spend to local projects, through its Community Fund.

Led by National Park rangers, health walks are free and help local people, who would not generally be able to get out, to socialise, exercise and build confidence. Free transport is provided – and carers are also invited to join the walks. We need your help to make the most of this great opportunity... • If you are already a Co-op member, simply log onto your account and select Peak District Health Walks (40021) as your local cause. • Become a Co-op member via www.coop.co.uk and select Peak District Health Walks (40021) as your local cause.

Winner! We were thrilled with the support for our Christmas raffle – from businesses which generously donated prizes to the many people who bought tickets.

The raffle raised £1,800 towards our #70kfor70 campaign. Thanks to local businesses, including Chatsworth Estate and Farm Shop, Losehill House Hotel & Spa, Mount Cook Adventure Centre, Woodland Ways, Peak Ales, Phil Sproson Photography and Peak Running. Congratulations to Andy Yates (pictured), one of the Peak District National Park’s wonderful volunteer rangers, who won the first prize, a luxury Chatsworth Estate and Farm Shop hamper.

Are you ready to play your part? • Sign up to the e-newsletter –www.peakdistrictfoundation.org. uk/contact/ • Donate – Text ‘Donate peak 1’ to 88802 you will receive a text back asking you to confirm how much you would like to give • Follow us on social media twitter.com/pdnp_foundation facebook.com/ peakdistrictfoundation/ instagram.com/ peakdistrictfoundation