ENVIRONMENTAL campaigning charity Friends of the Dales is looking for like-mined businesses to become 'community supporters'.

The Gargrave-based charity is also welcoming not-for-profit organisations with strong green aspirations to come on board in a scheme set to benefit both the charity and businesses.

Its recently launched new scheme offers community supporters the benefit of having their eco-credentials recognised on the charity's website.

For an annual donation of at least £40, businesses can gain the benefit of aligning themselves with the charity, support its work, and receive regular updates on the work carried out by the charity, along with information about up and coming talks and events.

Ann Shadrake, executive director of Friends of the Dales said: “It is important to us that our business and group membership is as useful as possible to organisations, to us and to the Yorkshire Dales.

"For that reason we are inviting businesses and groups to pay an annual donation of their choosing of £40 – or more if they feel able to, to support our environmental campaigning and other charitable work.”

In addition to recognition on the Friends of the Dales website, those joining the scheme will receive a bi-monthly e-newsletter, a community supporters logo to use on products or online, copies of the charity’s magazine and invitations to two business related, environmental digital talks each year.

Friends of the Dales was one of the first environmental organisations to raise awareness of the toxic legacy of tree planting with plastic tree guards. It has led to others, including Campaign for National Parks, the Clapham-based Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, and the Woodland Trust to take up the cause.

It also raises awareness of the importance of managing rural roadside verges for nature and biodiversity, by cutting down on mowing.

Additionally, through its planning wing, it reviews and comments on all planning applications in the Yorkshire Dales deemed to have a major or significant impact.

It recently supported an application to restore Lunds Church in High Abbotside, and objected strongly to a plan to site a 4-G mast close to protected landscape in Chapel-le-dale, and next to the route of the Yorkshire Three Peaks. The application has since been withdrawn.

On Thursday, April 27, the charity is organising a seven mile guided walk in Arkengarthdale to view work being carried out by the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust to implement natural flood management.

For further information about the Community Supporter scheme visit: www.friendsofthedales.org.uk/support-us