Saturday 14th January saw the inaugural Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Open Day at the Don Whillans Memorial Hut at the Roaches, which a BMC team attended on a crisp bright day.

The S.W.T have recently been selected by the Peak District National Park Authority to manage the Roaches estate with a 125-year lease starting in 2013. They recognise what an important place the estate is for climbers and walkers, and wanted to talk to users on-site about what we enjoy about it and what could be improved.

The day involved open access to the Whillans Hut, with many attending to just enter the hallowed ‘Rockhall’ with a glorious fayre of cakes and refreshments.

Peak Area Access representatives Henry Folkard, Gary Sheppard and Simon Jacques met informally with Helen Dale, Head of Reserves, and other SWT volunteers at the crag to discuss the future ideas of the SWT for the Estate and how best the BMC could be represented within these.

Helen assured us that the BMC would be part of a future steering group to look at how best to manage the land and user groups in the area and we explained how we would indeed encourage mutual working for the estate to help ensure access and conservation.

We invited S.W.T representatives to the Peak Area Meeting at the Winking Man Pub in July 2012 to come for a question and answer session, which was warmly taken up.

As it is early days with the trust acquiring the Roaches watch this space.

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