We need to raise £1 million to fix runaway erosion in mountains and precious landscapes across Britain, and we need your help to do it. Here's how you can make a difference.
Mend Our Mountains: Make One Million is a call to action to everyone who values the hills, mountains and landscapes of Britain.
We need to raise £1 million in total for a range of vital projects to repair paths and prevent runaway erosion within the UK’s entire family of 15 National Parks. They range from the sub-Arctic heights of the Cairngorms and the rocky reaches of England’s highest mountain, to the gentler climes of the rolling South Downs or the tranquil New Forest. They include mountain paths, multi-user bridleways and even a brand new bridge.
What they have in common is that they are all in inspiring locations and need a boost from the public - from you - to be completed. The appeal is run in conjunction with a UK-wide coalition of National Parks and other organisations, and headline sponsorship is provided by Cotswold Outdoor and Snow + Rock.
Mend Our Mountains: Make One Million is about more than just tidying up a few muddy paths – it's about protecting the health and integrity of places which are hugely important to many people. Being involved with an effort like this is hugely rewarding when you see results like this.
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Here’s how you can do your bit.
1. Donate!
To paraphrase the immortal words of Tom Cruise: show us the money!
It goes without saying that raising money is the big aim of this appeal. You can make a straightforward donation in just a few clicks through the Mend Our Mountains: Make One Million appeal website: www.mendmountains.thebmc.co.uk.
You have a choice of either donating to the UK-wide appeal, in which case your donation will be spread among the 13 main projects we are supporting, or you can donate directly to one or more projects directly if you prefer. Any and all amounts are welcome!
2. Take on a challenge
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If you really value the outdoors spaces you use, why not look to undertake your own fundraising challenge? It could be a mountain outing like the Yorkshire Three Peaks or the Welsh 3000s, or even a longer undertaking – James Forrest, who climbed all 446 mountains in England and Wales to raise money for Mend Our Mountains, currently holds the record for dedication to the cause!
It doesn’t have to be in the mountains either, or even in the outdoors – many of us merge our love of the hills with the likes of road cycling, race running or indoor climbing. We know of a group of friends who are planning to climb the height of Everest in their local climbing wall to raise cash for Cader Idris. Undeterred by the 10 metre height of the wall, the group are planning a combined 885 climbs to make the ‘summit’.
Watch this space for more resources on what you can do to support Mend Our Mountains: Make One Million with your own fundraising efforts. In the meantime, if you have any questions or want to let us know about an idea, drop us a line.
3. Enter one of our prize draws
From around the start of April, we will be running a series of online prize draws with the opportunity to win some fantastic goodies. We don't have Oprah Winfrey's budget, so sadly you won't be getting a car, but you will get a chance to bag high-end tents, jackets, climbing gear and more.
The higher the donation, the more chance you’ll have of winning. Keep an eye on the MOM website and BMC social media to find out more about these.
4. Buy ‘MOMchandise’ online from the BMC shop
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Buy a snazzy Mend Our Mountains mug or T-shirt, which include the exclusive 'Beat Track' design by mountain artist Tessa Lyons as shown above, and the profits go back into the appeal. Go the ‘Mend Our Mountains merchandise’ section of the BMC shop to see the stuff
And for a limited time only, you can also enter our fantastic charity art auction. Just take a look at the pieces of art in the tweet below, decide which one (or more) takes your fancy, and email us your bids for them to this address. Don't forget to specify which work of art has caught your eye.
5. Share on social media
Support Mend Our Mountains? Just made a donation? Doing a challenge to raise money for the appeal? Tell the world!
Sharing your support for Mend Our Mountains through your social media feeds is a great way of getting the word out. Keep an an eye on the BMC Facebook page, the @TeamBMC and @BMC_Walk Twitter feeds, or the @teambmc Instagram account for the latest stories and updates.
We also have a range of eye-catching videos that make great social media fodder, both for the overall appeal and the individual projects. Check them out by going to the Mend Our Mountains: Make One Million playlist on the TeamBMC Youtube account.
6. Make a crowdfunding pledge
The last Mend Our Mountains campaign in spring 2016 raised £100,000 using crowdfunding alone (okay, it's slightly more complicated than just asking for money - a donation is made as a ‘pledge’ in exchange for a reward.)
Mend Our Mountains: Make One Million is using a much wider range of fundraising techniques, but in the autumn we will be running another crowdfunding push, similar to the first campaign, to give things a boost in the approach to the finish line. Keep an eye on the MOM website and BMC social media to find out more.
7. Speak up to support our landscapes
The places we walk, climb, ride, ramble and run in are under pressure: from rising visitor numbers (Sport England estimate the number of adults who regularly go hill-walking is similar to those playing football) to extreme weather events to budget cuts.
Mend Our Mountains is a way of doing our bit to help, but the benefits National Parks and other protected places deliver to wider society significantly outweigh their cost to the public purse, and they need to be properly supported.
If you agree, speak up for the places you care about: join the BMC, write to your local MP, take to social media, get informed and stay engaged.
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We want to say a big thanks to every BMC member who continues to support us through the Coronavirus crisis.
From weekly Facebook Lives and GB Climbing home training videos, to our access team working to re-open the crags and fight for your mountain access, we couldn’t do it without you.
Did you know that we've just launched a new U27 membership offer for just £1.50 / month? And with full membership from £2.50 / month, it's never been easier to join and support our work:
https://www.thebmc.co.uk/join-the-bmc-for-1-month-U27-membership
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