The importance of this moment cannot be overstated – make a difference this Christmas
10 December 2018
Caroline Quentin, president of Campaign for National Parks urges you to make a difference to our small charity this Christmas!
70 years of National Parks
The National Parks we all love were originally founded as a means of preserving natural beauty and satisfying demands for access to the great outdoors for everyone to enjoy. The advocates of National Parks in the 1930s and 1940s fought long and hard to secure this. These men and women stressed the positive benefits of a series of Parks that would enrich the social fabric of post-war Britain. Once the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act became law, dreams of having swathes of countryside for everyone to enjoy became reality. I know we are richer as a result of the dedication of these passionate campaigners and we all remain indebted to them.
Can you make a difference to our work? Caroline with Julian Glover and Mary-Kate Jones at the 2018 Park Protector Award.
As we approach Brexit, now is a crucial time in the history of the National Parks in Wales and England. Decisions made about the future of farming policy, for example, will have major impacts on the future management of the Parks. And the Glover Review offers another chance to shape the future of England’s National Parks. This is your chance to make a difference.
The Glover Review
The purpose of the Glover Review, commissioned by the Westminster Government, is to ask what could be done better in the Parks. It is considering what changes could make them even more beautiful and further increase their value for those who live within them as well as visitors.
The Review is a critical opportunity for Campaign for National Parks. Much of our recent work has been focused on making recommendations about how to make the Parks more beautiful and more accessible. We now need to get the review to take these recommendations on board. With your support we can grasp this opportunity. Julian Glover, who is leading this Review, has stated that the Review will not propose reductions in either the geographic extent or the protections given to National Parks. But we know that not everyone recognises the value of National Park designation and it is essential that we are able to submit strong evidence so that the Review does not lead to changes which undermine the significant benefits these areas already deliver.
Our history
Campaign for National Parks has been around for over 80 years. From our first meeting in 1936 to discuss the campaign for establishing National Parks, to campaigning against nuclear waste facilities in our National Parks in 2018, our objectives to protect and promote National Parks have never changed. We played an important role in the independent review of designated landscapes in Wales in 2015. Thanks to your support we were able to work with partners to make the case that the National Park Authorities should retain their full planning responsibilities and that there should be no changes to the purposes of National Parks. We must play an important role again to benefit the English Parks.
How you can help
The importance of this moment for National Parks cannot be overstated. It provides a chance to implement our recommendations to improve car-free access to the Parks whilst boosting wildlife and supporting the recovery of natural habitats. Problems such as the lack of funding and unaffordable housing must also be addressed. With your support I know we can achieve our vision for the future of National Parks. We are a small charity with a big responsibility to secure the legacy of those campaigners who secured the creation of the National Parks. Next year will be the 70th anniversary of the 1949 Act, please help us to make a difference by giving whatever you can to support our work.
With best wishes and sincerest thanks
Caroline