Groups urged to apply for £1.75m Dales fund

The fund, which is managed by the Clapham-based charity Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) on behalf of the authority, is open to community groups, businesses, and individuals across the national park, supporting projects that create local jobs or training opportunities, improve local amenities or bring environmental benefits.

In the past year alone, it has given out £151,348 for projects ranging from the installation of a weather station at Kirkby Malham Primary School to improving the energy efficiency of village halls and investigating an archaeologically-important system of earthworks at Grinton.

Now the window for the latest round of grants is due to close on June 8.

Peter Stockton, head of sustainable development at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA), said: “Supporting local communities and businesses through the sustainable development fund is one of the national park authority’s priorities.

“That is why we are continuing to make significant funding available to local projects through the YDMT.”

Another success story for the fund in the past year has been helping the Wharfedale Beekeepers Association to re-introduce bee keeping for the first time in decades at Parcevall Hall, where the tradition dates back several hundreds of years.

The project involves the building of a wooden summer house structure to contain a permanent educational display and observation hive.

It is being built by local offenders on probation who are being trained in basic construction skills to gain accredited qualifications through Craven College, to help find employment.

For more information, visit the YDNPA website, or call 015242 51002.