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The Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company currently manages a network of fifteen summer and five winter weekend bus services in and around the Yorkshire Dales National Park and neighbouring Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It provides the only way for those without cars to visit and travel around the Yorkshire Dales, with around 33,000 passenger journeys being made each year. Nearly two thirds of our passengers could not have visited the Dales without DalesBus services, whilst car owners can benefit from a much wider range of linear walks by using the buses.
In order for these services to continue to be available, we are inviting businesses, charitable trusts and other local organisations to help support the network. To offer your support or to find out more please contact paul@dalesandbowland.com now. The Dales & Bowland Community Interest Company's annual report for 2018-9 is available to download here (PDF file).
D&BCIC provided a network of 15 Sunday and Bank Holiday DalesBus services to and within the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale/ Forest of Bowland Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty throughout Summer 2018. Five services operated on Sundays during the winter months. D&BCIC is a social enterprise whose single member is a charity, the Yorkshire Dales Society, which is also known as Friends of the Dales. D&BCIC has its own independent board of directors who are all unpaid volunteers working in partnership with commercial bus operators, community transport operators, user groups, local attractions and other businesses and local authorities. 33,391 journeys were made on DalesBus services managed by D&BCIC during 2018-19. The 19% increase from 28,117 journeys in 2017-18 was driven by the reintroduction of a Summer Sunday service linking Otley with Nidderdale, the first full season of Winter Sunday service 24 in Nidderdale and the takeover of the Summer Saturday service between Ilkley and Grassington from North Yorkshire County Council once again. DalesBus delivers many economic, social and environmental benefits, but D&BCIC needs to secure additional longer-term funding in order to secure the future of the network. The overall cost of providing and marketing the network in 2018-19, was around £163,700, with fares income of approx. £64,000, leaving a net cost funding requirement of £99,700. D&BCIC, together with our partner organisations the Friends of the Dales and the Friends of DalesBus, will shortly be starting fundraising activities for the 2020-21 financial year. We would be delighted to hear (via feedback@dalesandbowland.com) from any individuals, organisations or companies who might be interested in providing financial support, sponsorship or assistance with fundraising. In the meantime, we’d like to thank everyone who has helped support the DalesBus network in 2019-20. Several weekend DalesBus services are now financially supported by commercial businesses, enabling valuable services to continue to be provided for Yorkshire Dales residents and visitors to the area. The largest commercial sponsorship deals in place for DalesBus services in 2018-19 are with:
Simon Webster, head of marketing at Steeton-based Acorn Stairlifts, said: “We were keen to give something back to the community which supported our growth and sponsoring the Wensleydale Flyer has been a great way to do it. It’s a good fit for us, as both Acorn and the Flyer are all about empowering mobility, and having our company livery on the bus is a great way to raise our profile locally. I’d encourage any other business considering sponsorship of a DalesBus service to go ahead – it’s been a win-win situation for us.” To help maintain and develop the DalesBus network we are now seeking further commercial sponsorship for Summer 2019 - if this may be of interest to your business please get in touch with us. We're also very grateful to the many smaller businesses, charities, other organisations and individuals who support the DalesBus network - thank you to you all!
During July and August 2018 a survey of passengers on the weekend DalesBus network was conducted by the Dales & Bowland Community Interest Company, with help from the Friends of DalesBus.
The main results of the survey can be viewed here (PDF file). Overall 86% of respondents reported that they were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the weekend DalesBus network. We'd like to thank everyone who kindly took the time to complete a survey form. The information and suggestions provided will be used to help us plan and raise funding for services in the future. The Dales & Bowland Community Interest Company's annual report for 2017/18 is available to download here (PDF file).
The report highlights that whilst D&BCIC and its partners have continued to be remarkably successful once again in attracting sufficient funding for the summer 2018 network, it is clear that fundraising activity is becoming an unsustainable drain on the company’s limited voluntary resources and that the securing of more stable longer-term funding is an urgent priority. DalesBus delivers many economic, social and environmental benefits, but D&BCIC cannot achieve these alone. For DalesBus to survive and develop increased political and financial support is needed. The report also notes the retirement of founder director Colin Speakman as a director earlier this year. The Board would like to thank Colin for all his hard work in developing the company and helping to support the DalesBus network. Colin will however be continuing in his role as Vice Chair of the Friends of DalesBus. John Grogan MP was welcomed by directors of Dales & Bowland Community Interest Company and members of Friends of DalesBus and the Friends of the Dales to join them on a short walk and pub lunch in Kettlewell on Sunday 14th January using DalesBus service 874 which runs from Wakefield, Leeds and Ilkley to Bolton Abbey, Grassington, Kettlewell and Buckden.
In conjunction with the Friends of DalesBus, the Dales & Bowland Community Interest Company is able to supply timetable leaflets for its services to local businesses and organisations who are able to display them. For details please contact us.
An Early Day Motion was raised by John Grogan, MP for Keighley, on 5th December 2017 commending the work of the company:
That this House congratulates The Dales and Bowland Community Interest Group, a subsidiary of the Yorkshire Dales Society, on its 10th anniversary; acknowledges the work that this not-for-profit company has undertaken with its DalesBus service to deliver affordable public passenger transport to the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Forest of Bowland every Sunday and Bank Holiday throughout the year; notes that the continuation of the DalesBus service is essential so that less traffic enters the National Parks; further notes the mental and physical health benefits to West and North Yorkshire residents which the DalesBus offers by improving mobility and combatting isolation and loneliness, as well as the economic benefits it brings to pubs, cafes, shops and other businesses in the Yorkshire Dales National Park; notes that in 2017 the Group wants to reinstate the Summer Sunday Nidderdale Service which will give people from West Yorkshire direct access to Washburndale and Nidderdale and serve no less than seven reservoirs; welcomes the continuing financial support that West Yorkshire gives to DalesBus; and calls on the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and Yorkshire Water to consider doing likewise. www.parliament.uk/edm/2017-19/650 A recent campaign by Nidderdale Chamber of Trade, Nidderdale Plus (a local charity devoted to the support of communities in Nidderdale) and Dales & Bowland CIC means Nidderdale’s number 24 bus service will not be axed now for commercial reasons and will run every day in the winter months after all.
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