We are excited to have received a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to begin delivering the Championing National Parks for Everyone project.
We are working with people from diverse communities living close to the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks to deliver the following aims;
- Increase the diversity of visitors to the National Parks through activities that develop skills, confidence and awareness of the benefits of National Parks
- Develop and deliver at a larger scale the Community Champion training programme to support diverse communities to visit the National Parks independently
- Create improved pathways for people from diverse communities to enter employment in the environment / outdoor sector
- Develop Peak District Mosaic as a larger, more sustainable and financially resilient organisation who can support Community Champions in the long term
- Improve the practice of the National Park Authorities in working with diverse communities
This new project is led by our charity Peak District Mosaic and we will continue to work closely with the Peak District National Park, North York Moors National Park and Yorkshire Dales National Park to run this scheme across the different parks and their nearby cities. Derbyshire Dales Council for Voluntary Service are also a project partner, working to help build capacity and infrastructure.
Community Champions
At the heart of the Championing National Parks for Everyone project is the Community Champion Training Programme. In 2025, we will recruit, train and support a team of at least 72 Volunteer Community Champions across these three National Parks to support diverse communities to visit these green spaces independently.
The Community Champion training programme will create a cohort of volunteers who can independently deliver safe, enjoyable and sustainable outdoor activities into the future. These activities might include easy-going walks, longer hikes, cycling sessions, adventure days or visits to heritage sites in the National Parks; Community Champions will bring in their own interests and passions when planning future sessions for their communities.
Training Opportunities
We are now running free Community Champion programmes in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, North York Moors National Park and Peak District National Park and have several training opportunities throughout the year.
What does the Community Champion Training involve?
We are now running free Community Champion programmes in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, North York Moors National Park and Peak District National Park and have several training opportunities throughout the year.
What does the Community Champion Training involve?
Each training programme is a 6-day experience, set in the heart of the National Park closest to your home. Throughout the training you will learn why your time will be such an important asset to your community, as well as outdoor skills such as map-reading and what equipment to consider bringing. You will also cover the risks and safety aspects to consider when running sessions independently.
Every training programme will vary according to the Park it is hosted by (see application forms below for more details) but each course will follow the same model framework:
- Pre-information for the course and sign-up process
- Five days of training (3 one-day sessions and 1 residential weekend) covering an introduction to National Parks and their special characteristics; visits to landowners / sites of interest; navigation training; health and safety training; training on how to run your own visits for others
- An opportunity to run your own visit for others to the National Park, with a specific budget provided for travel and equipment – this is what all the training is leading up to
- A celebration day (Day 6 of training) to reflect on the programme and on your self-led event.
This exciting training programme will run over the course of a five-month period on weekend days.
Community Champion training gives you the skills and experience so you can lead your own activities to enthuse others to visit the National Parks. After completing the programme, you will be supported with further training opportunities to aid you in your running future outdoor sessions. This might include film making workshops or Outdoor First Aid courses. You will also be invited to future networking events to meet other like-minded Community Champions in the area and share best practice.
The programme is free. Travel and other associated expenses are all covered by the funding. We are also piloting the option to cover some childcare costs to allow people to attend without their children, who may otherwise not be able to afford to. If you have any considerations or concerns for the training programme, do let us know. They do not need to be a barrier in accessing this fantastic opportunity.
Our first programme has already started and is now full. However, we will also be running two further cohorts in each National Park in 2025 – one starting in June and the other in August / September – so there will be more opportunities soon!
Enrol today!
Do you have a passion for the great outdoors and a motivation to support others in your community to visit the National Parks? We would love to hear from you!
Peak District National Park
Contact: Andrea Antoniou
Email: Andrea.Antoniou@peakdistrict.gov.uk
Phone: 01629 816200 / 07484506611
Yorkshire Dales National Park
Contact: Jamila Gaskin
Email: Jamila.gaskin@yorkshiredales.org.uk
Mobile: 07974 463388
Phone: 01756 751659
North York Moors National Park
Contact: Jayney Barnard
Email: J.Barnard@northyorkmoors.org.uk
Phone: 01439 772727
Mobile: 07980737581
Championing National Parks for Everyone is made possible with funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. We are also grateful for funding from the Peak District National Park Authority; North York Moors National Park Authority; Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority; Peak District National Park Foundation; North York Moors Trust; and the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust. We hope that the project will support more people from diverse communities to have the skills and resources to build a lifelong relationship with their National Parks.
