THE RIGHT TO ROAM — KINDER RISING

Can't see this message? View in a browser   KINDER RISING! Time to make history again... Dear Roamers, In 1932 four hundred hikers from Manchester and Sheffield made history when they trespassed to the summit of Kinder Scout, a plateau of heather-kissed moorland in the Derbyshire Peaks. A battle with the Duke of Devonshire’s gamekeepers ensued (the organisers were later arrested and spent several months in jail) but the roamers won the day – and seized the future too. Their actions become a powerful symbol in the fight of ordinary people to reclaim access to our countryside. Once the post-war Labour government was elected those efforts were finally acknowledged in legislation. The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act was introduced in 1949, with the Peak District National Park the first of its kind to be created in Britain. The Act was the beginning of a long journey to unravel the spell of exclusion which had been cast over the land and water of Britain. Seventy five years later, there is still much more to do. Even in the heart of this seminal National Park we’re still fighting for the simple right to swim. That’s why next month, on Sunday 27th April, we’re organising KINDER RISING: a mass rally and swim trespass following the steps of the Kinder trespassers all those years ago. We’ll be joining the Outdoor Swimming Society to call on the Labour government to finish the job they started in 1949 and introduce a true right of access for all. It’s time to make history again! Want to join? Sign up on the Eventbrite for more details and to receive future updates on the event. Hayfield Talks and Workshops The day before the rally (April 26th) the Hayfield Kinder Trespass Group will also be teaming up with Right to Roam North West to present a day of talks, workshops and social events tackling all things access. Many of the Right to Roam team will be present and participating so it’ll be a great opportunity to meet, chat, and learn some new skills. Limited spaces are available. Sign up via the link above (please only book if you’re definitely coming!). Get On My Land! Access Friendly Farmers on the BBC This week our Access Friendly Farmers hit the airwaves for an episode of the BBC’s On Your Farm. It profiles Debra and Tom Willoughby, who were the original inspiration for AFFLO (access friendly farmer and landowner network) and recently hosted our Wild Service in Action Weekend at their farm. The show documents how, having once been access sceptics, Debra and Tom decided to take a different approach: leaning into the existing access on their land, creating more of it, and doing all they could to invite people in. The result has been a fascinating. For the farm is has meant less loneliness, more customers, a growing network of volunteers for ecological restoration projects, and a new generation learning about farming, soil health and nature. For the local community there’s more access, family experiences, the chance to take action for nature, and with it all, the ability to form more than skin-deep attachments with the land in their neighbourhood. Here you can plant a tree and return to see it grow. You're more than just a passing visitor. So if you want some extra cheer in your day, check the show out on BBC Sounds. It’s twenty minutes of pure positivity and upturns just about every cliché about farmers and access you can think of. The irrepressible shoots of a new countryside are growing… Friends, Families and Travellers Launch #Part4NoMore Right at the start of the campaign we joined forces with Friends, Families and Travellers to fight the criminalisation of trespass posed by the Police, Crime and Sentencing Bill. FFT are now launching #Part4NoMore, a campaign to repeal Part 4 of the PCSC Act, which criminalises Gypsy and Traveller families simply for having nowhere safe to stop. They’re calling for safe stopping places and real solutions rather than criminalisation. They’d be very grateful if you could contact your MP in support and have built an easy tool to do that HERE. Wild Service Book Club: Homage & Healing We’ve got a double bill of the Wild Service Book Club on our YouTube channel this week. Up first: Sheffield poet Dal Kular, author of the (extraordinary) chapter on Healing spoke with Dr Sheree Mack and Right to Roam's Nadia Shaikh. You can catch up with their conversation HERE. In a second episode, nightingale collaborator and folk singer, Sam Lee, chatted with our poet-in-non-residence, Daniel Grimston, about Sam’s chapter, ‘Homage’. All chaired by Amy-Jane Beer. Find it HERE. That’s all for now folks, we’ll be back in touch soon with the feedback from our recent supporter survey and more of our plans for the year… Enjoy the sun! Jon, On behalf of the Right to Roam team ---------- For the latest campaign updates, follow us on Instagram & Bluesky To get involved, check out our website here. Can you help keep us going? Donate here. The spectre of Benny Rothman cheers us on (Credit: Nick Hayes) Take Action Visit our social accounts Check out our site   This email was sent from this site. If you no longer wish to receive this email, change your email preferences here.