Volunteers working with one of the National Trust's officers on an upland footpath

Volunteers who keep upland footpaths in good order have gained an award for their work.

Last year, the unpaid teams working for the Fix the Fells project in the Lake District put in 818 days of work repairing and maintaining rights of way on the area’s mountains.

Their effort has been recognised with a £500 award in the Marsh Heritage Awards – taking the second prize for their mentoring scheme which encourages experienced volunteers to help new members of the team. 35 recruits benefited last year.

The seven mentors guided new team members through their training, and offered encouragement to the volunteers, who took part in regular work parties keeping the fell paths in good repair.

Barry Capp, one of the Fix the Fells volunteer mentors said: “It has been a very enjoyable experience mentoring our new recruits and we were all delighted to hear that we had come second in the awards. It’s encouraging to get such a pat on the back for the work we do to help keep the fells accessible for everyone to enjoy.

“Most of the people who volunteer for Fix the Fells would be out walking the mountains in their spare time anyway, but it’s fantastic that so many people choose to do this work to give the countryside a little something back in return for all the pleasure it has afforded us over the years.”

The Fix the Fells teams supplement the work carried out by Lake District National Park Authority staff and workers from the National Trust, which owns much of the land in the area.

Mark Crosby, deputy head of volunteering at the National Trust said: “Well done on behalf of the judges and the central volunteering team at the National Trust.

“We all felt that the Fix the Fells project was a great example of upland volunteering at its best – well organised, with a clear impact and an approach that involved and inspired others. The standout role of the seven mentors is something we hope many other National Trust properties will learn from.”

The Marsh Heritage Volunteering Award is a collaboration between the National Trust and the Marsh Christian Trust that recognises groups of volunteers throughout the National Trust who have added value, made a difference and been an inspiration. It has run since 2002.

The Fix the Fells team will receive their award at an official ceremony later this year.