Tarmac volunteers with Peak District national park chief executive Sarah Fowler

A construction company has chipped in to help fund a national park’s volunteer scheme.

Tarmac is donating £100,000 to enable the Peak District authority to employ a new member of staff to oversee its conservation volunteering programme.

Employees from Tarmac will also help the new volunteer projects assistant with projects across the national park on one day each month for the duration of the partnership. The company will provide £20,000 each year for the next five years.

Employees from Tarmac’s Tunstead Quarry, near Buxton, helped repair a section of drystone wall near the North Lees campsite at Stanage on Friday. The Peak authority said the project is a good example of the work that will now be possible because of the funding.

Volunteers project assistant Nick Baker said: “This is a great example of the value of our new partnership with Tarmac.

“Drystone walls are a big part of the Peak District landscape and it is important that we keep them in good repair. But it is very time-consuming process and it would be difficult and expensive to complete the work without volunteer help.”

Tarmac has set a target of 50,000 volunteer-hours per year by 2020 and the company will provide volunteering opportunities for employees in the Peak District national park, supporting the internationally recognised work of the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers.

Sarah Fowler, chief executive of the Peak District National Park Authority, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be working alongside Tarmac to help look after this wonderful place. It’s a great example of a business determined to invest back into its local communities.

“This year marks the 65th anniversary of the original UK national park and this support, together with the fantastic efforts of all our volunteers, helps us to protect it for future generations to enjoy.”

Tarmac, which provides building materials and construction services, said volunteering is an important part of its strategy to have a positive impact on the communities in which it works.

Andy Corrigan, its director of communications and corporate affairs, said: “We’re excited to be entering a partnership with our close neighbour with whom we’ve had a long relationship. The partnership enables us to contribute to maintaining and protecting this precious natural asset and learn from the park’s work to support our own volunteering targets.”