Friends of the Lake District project and staff shortlisted for national conservation awards

Friends of the Lake District project and staff shortlisted for national conservation awards

Two Friends of the Lake District, Cumbrian-based, conservation workers and a project in Threlkeld have been shortlisted for national conservation awards.

This year marks the 100th birthday of CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England. The CPRE Centenary National Awards celebrate people and projects finding creative and practical ways to help the countryside and its communities thrive.

Friends of the Lake District, which represents CPRE in Cumbria, has been shortlisted for three awards:

Best green space project: Dam Mire Wood, Threlkeld.

We have owned Dam Mire Wood since 2021 and have been working hard ever since to create a thriving space for nature and people. Last year, we extended the site into a neighbouring field. Volunteers and local schoolchildren have helped create 60m of hedgerow, plant 1,000 trees, and install nesting boxes and log dams to slow flood-prone becks. We have has also installed new bridges and paths, and the whole site will soon be dedicated as Open Access permanently.

Countryside Changemaker: Jack Ellerby

Kendal-based Jack Ellerby has spent decades championing rural communities and landscapes. He worked for Friends for over 20 years and during that time, among many other achievements, he originated Dark Skies Cumbria and launched the annual Fell Care Days. Most recently, he created the Hedges and Edges project to plant and restore vital hedgerows across the county. While he has now stepped back from formal work, Jack continues to volunteer for us, sharing his skills and knowledge through practical conservation work including dry stone walling.

Young Countryside Changemaker: Stephanie Gardiner

Stephanie Gardiner, who lives in Grange-over-Sands, joined Friends of the Lake District as a volunteer in 2023 before being appointed Engagement Trainee in 2025. Last year, she led the Go Wild Under the Stars project, engaging over 300 primary school children across Cumbria in tackling light pollution and launched a new Youth Voice Project, giving young people aged 18 to 25 a direct say in helping protect Cumbrian landscapes.

Stephanie and Jack

Colin Walker, CEO for Friends of the Lake District, said: “We’re so proud of all our nominees for these special awards marking 100 years of CPRE. The nominations really highlight the breadth of our work – from planting hedgerows and protecting dark skies, to caring for our own land and championing landscape protection. We want to wish all the nominees best of luck when the winners are announced!”

The shortlisted nominees will come together at an awards celebration at the Houses of Parliament on Thursday 29 October, where the winners will be announced.