Sponsor part of the National Park and mark your donation with a plaque
The Lake District National Park authority maintains more than 3,100km of paths and bridleways. Millions of visitors, combined with our Cumbrian climate, means constant improvements and maintenance is required.
Make a donation
By making a donation today you can help us to look after this spectacular place now and in the future.
A wonderful gift
Ultimate gift or memorial for a Lake District lover
Ultimate gift or memorial
If you are donating in memory of a loved one or in celebration of a special occasion, you can add a simple engraved plaque to a fingerpost, gate, stile or bridge and choose whether to add a message to the Lake District National Park memorial and celebration
Call 07497 816091 or email [email protected]
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How can I leave a mark on the Park?
By sponsoring the Lake District National Park, you can support essential conservation and sustainability projects, leaving a lasting impact.
Donations given to us on the project or roles you have chosen to support, or for the purposes of improving, maintaining or replacing our Rights of Way (ROW) network according to the preference indicated when you make your donation. No VAT will be charged on your donation.
In the unlikely event that a project you are donating to does not happen, your donation will go towards supporting the Lake District National Park’s work, wherever the need is greatest.
You can sponsor rights of way items – from fingerposts and stiles to gates and bridges:
- £250 could sponsor a fingerpost with a plaque
- £350 could sponsor a stile with a plaque
- £600 could sponsor a gate with a plaque
- From £1,000 could sponsor a bridge.
You can also sponsor people and donate to projects.
In the unlikely event that a project you are donating to does not happen, your donation will go towards supporting the Lake District National Park’s work, wherever the need is greatest.
Yes, on rights of way items our staff can place a plaque for you.
Plaques placed on fingerpost signs, stiles and gates will be stainless steel, 60mm x 40mm, engraved with up to two sets of initials and two dates. Plaques will be placed discreetly, on the back of gates, stiles and fingerposts, or on the side facing away from paths and public view.
Plaques on bridges will be stainless steel, 100mm x 60mm, engraved with up to two names and four dates.  Plaques will be placed discreetly, on the side of one of the main bridge beams, and on the side facing away from paths and public view.
Plaques are only to be placed by National Park or Lake District Foundation employees. Bearing in mind the potential for adverse impact on the landscape and the enjoyment of visitors to the Lake District National Park, we ask that no additional items or memorabilia are placed in or around the area relating to your donation. This would include flowers, photographs or padlocks.
Items which are donated towards will form part of our normal work programme. Our target timescale for completing jobs in our work programme is normally five months. Currently however, because of serious flood damage sustained late in 2015, it may be 12 months or longer before we are able to address some jobs on our list.
If you have chosen to sponsor a finger post, gate, bridge or another item of rights of way furniture, we will email you when the work has been completed – along with a photograph.
Can I leave a memorial in the National Park?
This agreement will remain in effect from the date of the donation until the structure (if applicable) requires replacement.
At your request, we may post a short message of your choice on the message board on The Lake District National Park website.
We regularly receive requests for memorials to be placed in the Lake District National Park. We do appreciate the importance of memorials for the families of deceased loved ones and understand how a memorial in a cherished place or landscape can provide a comfort. However if we were to give permission to all the requests we receive, the numbers involved would become extremely intrusive in this natural and beautiful landscape. For this reason we refuse all requests for memorials on land owned by the National Park. For memorials on the other 96 per cent of land in the Lake District, we ask people to contact the landowner directly.
It is worth noting that memorials, such as benches and structures, may also require planning permission. To informally discuss whether you need to apply for planning application you can talk to a duty planner or attend one of our regular planning surgeries – find out times and dates.
You can donate towards a selected location or project in memory of a loved one, whilst at the same time contributing towards the future of the National Park.
Thank you, your donation will mean that more people can enjoy exploring the Lake District National Park now and in years to come.
