New voice for the communities facing an uphill struggle

From the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales, to the stark beauty of the Moors, the county is blessed with picture postcard landscape which has remained largely unchanged for centuries.

However, for those who live and work in the county's remote communities, the uplands represent much more than a photo opportunity – and a new project, backed by the University of Leeds, is hoping to raise awareness of the area's vital contribution to everything from food production to reducing the impact of global warming.

As part of the Sustainable Uplands Project, a new website has just been launched to tell the story of the uplands, not just in Yorkshire, but across the whole of the country.

While broadband access may still be an issue for many rural areas, it is hoped the site will eventually be home to an unrivalled collection of video-clips, written accounts, photographs, artwork and audio material from anyone with an interest in Britain's hills.

"At it's heart the project is about giving people a voice," says Professor Joseph Holden, co-leader of the project and director of geography research at the University of Leeds.

"For me, the uplands are vital as it's where I do much of my research, but they are not just important for my work, they are also important for the whole of the country.

"Many people perhaps don't realise, but around 70 per cent of the country's drinking water comes from the uplands and the peat soil found there stores huge amounts of carbon, which helps mitigate the threat of climate change.

"It's a working environment and one that brings so many benefits to our wider society. Anyone who visits the uplands soon realises that it's an incredibly dynamic place where not only every day is different, but where every part of every day is different.

"Each small corner has a story to tell and this new website will hopefully allow those voices to be heard."

It's easy to romanticise when talking about rural Britain, but one of the aims of the website is also to highlight the many pressing issues, which affect life in the uplands and potentially threaten its future.

"The project was inspired when we listened to one particular farmer describing the uplands as a jigsaw of his family and friends," says Sarah Buckmaster, a member of Sustainable Uplands project. "These areas mean so many different things to different people, and hopefully by bringing all those perspectives together we can paint a complete picture of what life is like.

"Hills, valleys, mountains and moors form a really distinctive part of our countryside and are home to many plants and animals that aren't found anywhere else, but we have to look after them and ensure that we are ready to adapt to future needs.

"The landscape is under a wide range of pressures, which need to be tackled head on. We can't ignore the fact there are very few young people willing or able to go into hill farming and that combined with recent changes to agricultural payments and farming policy means there is a real sense of uncertainty about what the future might hold."

The Sustainable Uplands project has recently been extended by 18 months, during which time it hopes to use the research already undertaken to provide some practical answers to the problems facing the agricultural community, in particular ensuring the gap between the rural rich and poor doesn't get any wider. "These issues aren't easy to solve, but they also won't go away," adds Sarah. "Everywhere you look in the uplands, whether that be the Yorkshire Dales, the Peak District or the Scottish Highlands there are people making and producing things for the rest of us.

"These communities provide the backbone to rural industry and it's in all our interests to ensure it has a bright future."

In the meantime, the group is now encouraging people from all walks of life to log onto the new website. They hope eventually to attract contributions from influential landowners and policymakers, but equally they want to hear from those for whom the uplands simply holds a special place in their heart.

As one early contributor to the site puts it, the uplands are a "place to have a Wuthering Heights moment – followed by a nice packed lunch".

For more information visit www.ouruplands.co.uk