Dales project to be expanded across Pennines

The People and the DALES initiative, which is run by the Clapham-based charity, the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT), is being launched in the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire in an effort to encourage more people to visit the countryside.

Community workers behind the new pilot project have researched potential groups which will benefit as well as places to visit and delivered a series of events to refugees and asylum seekers and other disadvantaged community groups from Manchester, Burnley and Morecambe.

The People and the DALES scheme has already given 4,750 people from disadvantaged backgrounds in urban areas including Leeds and Bradford the opportunity to visit the countryside.

Officials from the YDMT have joined forces with colleagues at the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty after securing funding from Natural England’s Access to Nature programme.