AN innovative scheme which introduces people from disadvantaged backgrounds in Keighley to the Yorkshire Dales is remaining active – despite the pandemic.

Restrictions around Covid-19 have limited face-to-face contact.

But activities are still being staged by the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust’s People and the DALES (Diversity, Access, Learning, Environment, Sustainability) project.

It caters for groups such as refugees and asylum seekers living in Keighley and other towns and cities in West Yorkshire – including Bradford – and East Lancashire.

Since the project was launched, more than 10,000 people have taken part.

Usually participants would enjoy trips into the Dales, but that hasn’t been possible during lockdown.

Judy Rogers, project officer at the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, said: “We’re acutely aware of how isolated people from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds are during periods of lockdown.

“We would normally bring these groups to the Dales for respite and wellbeing but we’ve had to find other innovative ways of keeping in touch and making sure they were well.

“Activity packs were produced for individuals at home and we brought the Dales to our groups with a series of talks via Zoom.

“We also made funding available – thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund – to enable groups to carry on doing outdoor activities close to home. Small grants meant groups could purchase items which they would not otherwise have been able to buy.”

The team distributed nearly 1,000 activity packs to groups.

Each pack contained items such as garlic and daffodil bulbs as well as instructions on how to make beeswax wraps, bird feeders from lollipop sticks and a felted heart.

It is planned to distribute more packs in the spring.

Zoom sessions included talks from Dr Riad Alsous – a Syrian refugee who spoke about his journey to the UK and a bee project he has established at his new home in Yorkshire – and Stuart Gledhill and Lee Ann Simmonds, on wild swimming in the Dales.

Judy added: “As we couldn’t host our training weekend this time, which features inspirational talks, we decided to make these available online. They were really popular and we will be doing a lot more in the future.”