"Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust works to support the environmental, social and economic well-being of this special area"
About Us
We believe that the Trust has a good reputation as a "doing" organisation which gets practical results. Helping to conserve the wonderful jigsaw of heritage features which make up the Dales landscape has been the core of our work to date. Since we were set up as a registered charity in 1996 more than 600 individual projects worth £14 million have been assisted. These have included woodlands, wildlife habitats, barns, walls, village halls and historic buildings and features of all shapes and sizes.
Two successful major programmes dominated the first seven years of the Trust's existence. The "EnviroNet" and "Dales Living Landscape" schemes were funded by the Millennium Commission and Heritage Lottery Fund and brought in £5.5 million of lottery funds to the Dales. These were distributed as grants to a wide variety of individuals, community groups and organisations to help them achieve their own projects to benefit the area.
Our role has widened over the years, catalysed by the Foot and Mouth outbreak which so seriously affected the Dales. We are now helping with issues as diverse as countryside apprenticeships, supporting local contractors, encouraging sustainable development, education and skills training, combating social exclusion, and trying to engage communities from nearby conurbations with the area.
The way we work has also broadened. Raising funds in order to grant-aid others to undertake projects is still our preferred method, but there are cases where running projects ourselves is the only practicable way to make them happen. Examples are the "Learning in Limestone Country" education programme and the "Hay Time" meadows restoration project. We also manage grant programmes on behalf of other organisations, including Sustainable Development Fund in Nidderdale and the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Not restricted geographically, we have also begun to work across other parts of North Yorkshire, for example managing North Yorkshire County Council's Aggregates Grants Scheme.
Our donors
Crucial to all of this work is the support of our donors. One of the principles behind setting up the Trust was to allow the many people who love the Dales to contribute to the well-being of the area. To date more than 30,000 donors around the world have supported our work, for example through the tree dedication scheme which has helped to plant nearly 500,000 trees. Using the banner of "Donate to the Dales" the Trust hopes to raise at least £1million over the next three years, from individual supporters, other charitable trusts, corporate and major donors.
Our Aims
- To conserve or restore the natural, built, scenic and cultural heritage features which together make up the special landscape of the Dales
- To develop and encourage opportunities for wider access to and understanding of the Dales
- To improve understanding of and wider use of countryside and traditional skills
- To support the people and communities of the Dales to live and work in harmony with this special and protected landscape
Our Values:
- Are passionate about the Yorkshire Dales and enjoy working for them
- Work in partnership with local communities and other organisations
- Work to help deliver others' aspirations for the Dales
- Encourage sustainable ways of living and working in the Dales
- Comply with the spirit and letter of the expectations of a Charity
- Are sought after as good employers
- Value our donors, supporters and trustees
- Guard the reputations of funders, partners and recipients
- Maintain transparent procedures and ensure financial probity
