Volunteers who help maintain paths and access routes throughout the Lake District National Park are celebrating reaching an annual workload target for 2011 with two months to spare.
The Fix-the-Fells “lengthsmen” – who repair and maintain more than 100 identified Lake District paths – gave a promise at the start of the year to volunteer for 1,000 days of work during 2011.
Their commitment to the vital repair and maintenance work on drainage clearance and path maintenance has been so strong that their annual target of working days was reached by the end of October.
LDNPA volunteer co-ordinator Tim Duckmanton said the volunteers’ achievement was very impressive and all the volunteers should feel very proud of their success.
The National Trust ranger teams organise and lead work groups as well as residential weekends working on path repairs, pitching and training up on other skills; whilst volunteers organise their own drain runs. Sometimes an entire valley of routes can be completed in one weekend.
Mr Duckmanton added: “Looking after the landscape and access to this stunning national park takes a great deal of effort and commitment from so many people.
“We could not achieve what we do without the outstanding enthusiasm and commitment constantly shown by our volunteers.”
Fix the Fells is a five-year partnership project (2007-2011) run by the Lake District National Park Authority, the National Trust and Natural England.