An Introduction to Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company
Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company (D&BCIC) is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit social enterprise, which aims to improve people's lives by promoting public transport and providing much of the weekend DalesBus network, helping to provide sustainable access into and around the Yorkshire Dales area. It is a subsidiary of Friends of the Dales, a registered charity, which is the leading voice campaigning for a sustainable future for the Yorkshire Dales.
The CIC is run by an independent board of volunteer directors who lead the planning, fundraising, marketing and management of the DalesBus network. During the summer months this comprises around eighteen bus services on Sundays and Bank Holidays plus three services on Saturdays, with a smaller network continuing through the winter. DalesBus is the CIC’s registered trademark, owned jointly with the Friends of DalesBus.
The CIC does not own or operate any vehicles itself. All services are competitively tendered and run by commercial and community operators. The CIC does not compete with existing bus routes but rather identifies where there are gaps in service provision to places where people want to go, particularly on Sundays and Bank Holidays, and so enables people from the main conurbations in West Yorkshire, Lancashire and the North East to access the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale National Landscape without a car. Since D&BCIC was established in 2007 over 500,000 passenger journeys have been made on the bus services managed by the CIC. In 2024-25 over 56,000 passenger journeys were made.
We aim to operate in line with our values which guide our decision-making and action:
The costs of providing DalesBus services are only partly covered by fares and reimbursement for passengers using concessionary passes. The funding gap is filled by financial support from North Yorkshire Council, York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, together with sponsorship from commercial and charitable organisations, donations from organisations such as user groups and town/parish councils, and individual donations.
The annual funding requirement for the DalesBus network is now over £200,000 (after fares and concessionary reimbursement) and in addition to core financial support from the local authorities we have been fortunate to secure sponsorship in recent years from the National Trust, Sovereign Health Care Trust and Yorkshire Water as well as donations from many other organisations including the Friends of DalesBus, Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line, Friends of the Dales, Jack Brunton Charitable Trust, Jaytee Charitable Trust and Kirkby Malhamdale Parish Council, in addition to numerous individual donations.
D&BCIC is currently seeking additional volunteers to help us maintain and develop the DalesBus network. If you share our passion for improving lives within and around the Yorkshire Dales by bus, we’d love to hear from you. Please email [email protected] as soon as possible to express interest, providing information about the interest/knowledge you might be able to share. Feel free to contact the same address with any questions
Thank you to everyone who helps support the DalesBus network. Please click here to support the DalesBus network via Local Giving.
Annual Reports
Please visit our news page to download our latest annual report.
The CIC is run by an independent board of volunteer directors who lead the planning, fundraising, marketing and management of the DalesBus network. During the summer months this comprises around eighteen bus services on Sundays and Bank Holidays plus three services on Saturdays, with a smaller network continuing through the winter. DalesBus is the CIC’s registered trademark, owned jointly with the Friends of DalesBus.
The CIC does not own or operate any vehicles itself. All services are competitively tendered and run by commercial and community operators. The CIC does not compete with existing bus routes but rather identifies where there are gaps in service provision to places where people want to go, particularly on Sundays and Bank Holidays, and so enables people from the main conurbations in West Yorkshire, Lancashire and the North East to access the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale National Landscape without a car. Since D&BCIC was established in 2007 over 500,000 passenger journeys have been made on the bus services managed by the CIC. In 2024-25 over 56,000 passenger journeys were made.
We aim to operate in line with our values which guide our decision-making and action:
- Reliable and trustworthy
- Inclusive
- Co-operative
- Responsive
- Committed and determined
The costs of providing DalesBus services are only partly covered by fares and reimbursement for passengers using concessionary passes. The funding gap is filled by financial support from North Yorkshire Council, York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, together with sponsorship from commercial and charitable organisations, donations from organisations such as user groups and town/parish councils, and individual donations.
The annual funding requirement for the DalesBus network is now over £200,000 (after fares and concessionary reimbursement) and in addition to core financial support from the local authorities we have been fortunate to secure sponsorship in recent years from the National Trust, Sovereign Health Care Trust and Yorkshire Water as well as donations from many other organisations including the Friends of DalesBus, Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line, Friends of the Dales, Jack Brunton Charitable Trust, Jaytee Charitable Trust and Kirkby Malhamdale Parish Council, in addition to numerous individual donations.
D&BCIC is currently seeking additional volunteers to help us maintain and develop the DalesBus network. If you share our passion for improving lives within and around the Yorkshire Dales by bus, we’d love to hear from you. Please email [email protected] as soon as possible to express interest, providing information about the interest/knowledge you might be able to share. Feel free to contact the same address with any questions
Thank you to everyone who helps support the DalesBus network. Please click here to support the DalesBus network via Local Giving.
Annual Reports
Please visit our news page to download our latest annual report.