Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust

Charity Awards

Making hay in the Yorkshire Dales

Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust is a small charity that cares for the landscape, economy and people of the Yorkshire Dales. Its raises and distributes funds to projects, manages and distributes grants on behalf of other organisations, as well as directly delivering its own projects.

The Yorkshire Dales is one of just a few areas left in the whole country that boasts species-rich, traditionally-managed upland hay meadows. The area is classed as a priority habitat under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and EU Habitats Directive.

Taking into account the views of farmers and the findings of similar meadow conservation schemes, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust partnered up with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to embark on a £368,000 project that aimed to restore at least 200 hectares of degraded meadows. ‘Hay Time’ ran from May 2006 to December 2011 and exceeded its original goal, managing a total of 279 hectares through 69 individual operations across 141 fields.

As well as restoring the floral diversity of the meadows, 'Hay Time' created a richer environment for bees; less nitrogen run-off; and a higher hay-nutrient content, leading to better-quality meat production.

Alongside the practical work, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust also orchestrated a variety of meadow-themed educational and community involvement programmes. ‘Hay Time’ achieved national exposure by being featured (twice) on the BBC’s Countryfile programme, and it won both the Yorkshire Dales Society’s Ken Willson Award and the environmental project category of the Yorkshire Rural Awards 2010.

Sarah Brewer
Marketing & communications officer
Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust
The Old Post Office
Main Street
Clapham
North Yorkshire LA2 8DP
Tel: 0152 425 1002
media@ydmt.org
Charity no: 1061687

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