Just over a year ago I attended – and chaired – my first meeting of the Lake District National Park Partnership. That first meeting, at the Windermere HQ of the Freshwater Biological Association included elements we have sought to retain in all the meetings I have subsequently chaired.
This first year as Chair has emphasised the importance of all of us sharing the progress we are making, of the impact the Partnership is together having to benefit the Lake District itself in a host of ways. The Partnership Annual Report is one of the ways that we do this, and it is my privilege to introduce this, our second Annual Report that sets out our achievements in the 2023-24 financial year.
I am proud to share with you our great progress in delivering so many areas of our Partnership Plan. This would simply not be achievable without the support of our 22 Partner organisations, as well as our very many delivery partners and the engaged communities with whom we work. Thank you!
As ever there is plenty more to do. This year the Partnership decided to extend the life of the current Plan to 2026. This was partly because the Covid-19 pandemic has foreshortened our delivery window. Giving ourselves an extra year has allowed us to re-focus on actions we can realistically deliver or make significant progress with over the remaining life of the Plan. Our Action Review concluded in May 2024 and our revised actions for 2024-2026 can be found on our website: Lake District National Park Partnership Management Plan 2020-2026
On a personal note, I have very much enjoyed my visits and conversations with Partner organisations - accompanied by Veronica, our Partnership Manager - since I took over as Chair in May 2023. These have been invaluable in increasing my understanding of Partners’ priorities, resources and commitment to the Partnership. I plan to continue these conversations going forward and it will be particularly important to hear from Partner representatives as we begin to together develop our next Plan for the Lake District.
I hope you enjoy reading our Annual Report. Please do get in touch if you like to discuss any of the content or have any other questions about the Partnership: LDNPP@lakedistrict.gov.uk
Celia Caulcott
Chair of the Lake District National Park Partnership
