Recognition for Caru Eryri

In a hugely positive move, the Caru Eryri project, co-founded by the Snowdonia Society, has received recognition by being shortlisted for the prestigious St David Awards. The Society’s Chair Sue Beaumont travelled down to Cardiff for the awards ceremony and here comments on the event:

“I was recently exceptionally proud to attend this year’s St David Awards 2024 in Cardiff with four of our amazing volunteers Ian Hampton, Karen Wood, Alwyn Williams and Simon Higgins as finalists in the environment category.

“The prestigious St David Awards are awarded annually to celebrate and recognise the extraordinary achievements of people in Wales including for bravery, innovation, culture, sport, community spirit as well as for being environment champions.

“This year our Caru Eryri project was selected by an independent advisory committee as one of three finalists in the environment category. It was a great honour for us to represent the entire volunteering effort of Caru Eryri for helping to manage the impact of visitors to Eryri National Park through engaging with the public, raising awareness of our precious landscape and litter picking.

“There were three finalists in our category and although we did not win the award, we had a wonderful evening in the Royal Welsh College of Music watching video clips of the outstanding achievements of all of the nominees, and First Minister Vaughan Gething who gave out each award and congratulated the winners.

“On behalf of all trustees of Cymdeithas Eryri I would like to thank and congratulate the staff and volunteers who have accomplished so much through Caru Eryri working with our partners the Eryri National Park, National Trust and the Outdoor Partnership, and have been recognised as finalists for the St David Award.”

Ian Hampton, another of the volunteers who travelled to Cardiff for the event comments: “Over the past 50 years I’ve spent a lot of time hill walking in Eryri with family and friends and thought that I’d like to give something back. Volunteering was the natural choice, I get to spend more time in the National Park and, at the same time, I’m leaving the Park in a better condition than when I arrived.

“I have now volunteered for 3 years and every time I am out volunteering there is something interesting and I learn something new. It could be a conversation with a visitor or their appreciation of what we do. Seeing the wildlife or learning something new about the National Park, either from other volunteers or staff (about flora, fauna, geology or the history).

“Volunteering is a fantastic way to gain new knowledge, meet like-minded people, help others, have fun and enjoy Eryri—even when it’s raining.”

Caru Eryri is a partnership between Cymdeithas Eryri Snowdonia Society, the Eryri National Park Authority, the National Trust and the Outdoor Partnership.

Watch this great video: