GRANTS worth £10,000 have been awarded to make it easier for wheelchair users to explore the Yorkshire Dales.

Two £5,000 grants from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) Sustainable Development Fund have boosted Experience Community, which provides films and information about walks and other leisure activities for wheelchair users and the wider community.

The not-for-profit Community Interest Company is now in the process of producing four short films showing four different walks or routes in the National Park that offer varying degrees of challenge to wheelchair users.

Two – covering Malham Tarn and Aysgarth Falls – are now available to watch on Experience Community’s website at www.experiencecommunity.co.uk and the others are in the planning stages.

The films, which explain the route length, path surfaces, gradients and any other potential obstacles, are also on YouTube.

The second SDF grant will help Experience Community to buy a third Mountain Trike that wheelchair users can use on rougher terrains. A series of free taster sessions has been planned so people can gain experience – and confidence – to tackle more challenging routes.

The next will be held on July 3 and 4 in the YDNPA-owned Freeholders Wood at Aysgarth Falls in Wensleydale from 12 noon to 4pm followed by a taster ramble on July 5 starting at 12 noon at Bolton Castle.

Anyone wanting to book a place should email info@experiencecommunity.co.uk or phone 07958 591841.

Experience Community founder Craig Grimes, who became disabled in 1997, said: “The SDF grants have been a big help in assisting us to access the Yorkshire Dales as a group and to provide information so that others can take advantage of the beauty of the National Park.”

“Providing information to disabled people about routes they can use in the National Park is a great way to encourage them to visit. The films mean that people can see exactly what they’re going into so they can make informed decisions about if a route is suitable for their needs or not."

Rachel Briggs, the National Park Authority’s access development officer, said: “The national park covers 680 sq miles of stunning landscape and we want people to come out and enjoy it regardless of any mobility issues they may have.

“To that end, we are working with a large number of organisations and groups to develop as many routes as possible that are suitable for people with disabilities.”