THE South Pennines Walk and Ride Festival is part of the Walk Cycle Ride Project www.walkridesouthpennines.co.uk funded by Pennine Prospects through the South Pennines LEADER Programme.
The South Pennines LEADER programme, launched in 2009, will run until 2013 and will see more than £2.4m spent on rural projects.
LEADER is a community-led approach to rural development, focusing on culture and heritage, village renewal, and basic services for communities.
The South Pennines LEADER area crosses the West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester border, covering rural communities in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Oldham and Rochdale.
Funding is made available through the Rural Development Programme for England, jointly funded by Defra and the European Union and managed by Yorkshire Forward in the Yorkshire and Humber region, with support from the North West Development Agency.
Pennine Prospects was set up in 2005 to act as a champion for the South Pennines and co-ordinate regeneration activity that will conserve and enhance the area’s landscape and heritage while improving access for the communities of nearby towns and cities. It consists of a partnership between the local authorities of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Lancashire, Rochdale, Rossendale and Oldham, plus representatives of the Environment Agency, Natural England, Yorkshire Water and United Utilities, the NFU, Northern Rail, the National Trust, Pennine Heritage, and the South Pennines Association.
For further information about the South Pennines and Pennine Prospects, visit www.pennineprospects.co.uk
