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Help us unlock fund-matching to launch our National Parks: New Perspectives bursaries

There are just a few hours left to help us unlock hundreds of pounds of fund-matching by donating to us via the Big Give's #GreenMatchFund. Can you help us meet our £5,000 target which would enable us to launch three National Parks: New Perspectives bursaries?

Donations made by noon on Thursday 29 April 2021 will be doubled at no extra cost to you - so a £25 donation is worth £50 to us.

The new bursaries will give paid opportunities to early career communicators to help share their stories of, and visions for, National Parks - engaging their peers to love and care for National Parks. The bursaries are designed for under-represented groups, including young people and BAME communities.

Jessica, 20, tells us why she loves National Parks. Our National Parks: New Perspectives bursaries will empower more young people to share their stories

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Tribute to our friend and ally Lord Judd

We were very saddened to hear of the death of our former Vice-President Lord Judd. A lifelong campaigner for access to National Parks and the wider countryside and committed public servant, Lord Judd left a lasting impression on those who had the privilege of knowing him and his passing is a great loss to us all.

Lord Judd (pictured here at one of our parliamentary receptions a few years ago) was a keen supporter of Campaign for National Parks and was in touch with us just last month offering words of support.

"Losing Frank Judd is a huge loss to us and we will greatly miss his wisdom, his support, his advocacy and his campaigning passion for National Parks," said Campaign for National Parks' Chair Janette Ward, "Our thoughts are with his wife Chris."

Read our full tribute on our website.

Manifesto pledges for National Parks ahead of the Welsh elections

Earlier this year, we joined the Alliance for Welsh Designated Landscapes to call on the future Senedd and Welsh Government to truly unlock the potential of our protected landscapes, drawing on local leadership and strong partnerships to deliver national priorities with our manifesto.

The main political parties in Wales have now released their manifestos ahead of the forthcoming elections on 6 May 2021. They all include pledges around nature and the environment, transport, planning and housing which are relevant to National Parks.

Plaid Cymru's man ifesto includes a plan to Improve and extend Wales’ marine protected areas and investigate the creation of a National Park of the Sea in Cardigan Bay and the Celtic Sea, while the W elsh Labour manifesto includes a commitment around designating a new National Park to cover the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley.

Plaid Cymru also commits to fund Natural Resources Wales and National Parks 'in a way that reflects the key role they have to play in tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis'; and to collaborate with National Parks to investigate and develop proposals to create a brand for food products produced within Wales’ National Parks.

There is no specific mention of National Parks in the Welsh Conservative manifesto, Welsh Liberal Democrats manifesto or Wales Green Party manifesto.

To find out more about the elections, see here. Thursday 6 May will also see previously postponed mayoral elections taking place in England; see here for details.

Latest blog posts...

It's double delight on our blog this month as we host two separate posts to mark the 70th anniversary of Peak District National Park.

The first is from Dr Andy Tickle, from CPRE Peak District & South Yorkshire, who explores some of the key people and organisations in the Park's history and whether it might be time to push the boundaries (literally). Read the full post here.

The second is from Andrew McCloy, Chair of Peak District National Park Authority, and looks at the history of the National Park and what the future may hold. In his provocative post, he demands more from the government. Read the full post here.

Photo of first Peak District National Park ranger Tom Tomlinson by PDPNA

Volunteer of the Month

We were so impressed with the calibre of volunteers nominated for 'Volunteer of the Year' in last month's Park Protector Awards that we wanted to find a way to celebrate their efforts so we're introducing this 'Volunteer of the Month' slot into our enews.

First up, it's Jessica Davison, who features in the photo at the top of this email and who volunteers with Northumberland National Park and has been helping us promote our National Parks: New Perspectives bursaries (see video above).

The 20-year-old started volunteering in her local National Park after completing a young ranger scheme as a teenager. She has since helped with a huge range of tasks from lichen surveys and air quality surveys to taking photos and writing blog posts as part of a successful #OutdoorsIndoors campaign.

Dave Richardson, Volunteer Development Officer at Northumberland National Park, said: 'Jessica has been adaptable, engaged, and committed throughout her volunteering with Northumberland National Park. She has made a significant and varied contribution to the National Park in the last year.'

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