Connecting with the landscape

Tees-Swale engaged more people in all that these nationally important landscapes have to offer by encouraging and facilitating visits and activities by schools and youth and community groups from nearby urban areas. Helping them better understand the wildlife, the landscapes, and the lives of the people who live and work here, and above all to enjoy and explore these dales. With agriculture being of great importance to the local economy, the programme’s investment in natural assets also promoted economic benefits for the communities in the area.

Access to the Uplands

We enhanced the rights of way network to encourage and enable people to access this special landscape. We produced 19 promoted multi-user and walking routes, covering 63.7 miles in Teesdale and 65.7 miles in Swaledale, with associated infrastructure improvements.

Uplands for All

We worked with young people aged 8-25 years old, predominantly from towns outside the programme area, and engaged them in, and helped them to understand and take ownership of the uplands. We offered a programme of site visits, hands-on discovery, arts activities and local family activities; plus, one-off days as part of wider self-development programmes. We worked with 2,700 young people from 10 different population hubs from outside the area.

Uplands for Education

We worked with young people from primary and secondary schools within and outside the area, we helped to develop physical, emotional and intellectual links with the programme area. We engaged with 400 primary school children and 10 members of staff from within the scheme area: 740 young people and 23 members of staff from Teesdale School and Barnard Castle School; 450 primary aged and 100 secondary aged children and young people from Darlington.

Community Events

We provided a programme of events for members of the public and families and enabled people to learn about heritage, develop skills and to encourage a wider range of people to engage with our nature and culture. We involved over 1,500 people in this work.

Creatively connected

By delivering community arts projects, we helped people make emotional connections with nature, which are capable of transforming their relationship with the natural world and encourage nature-friendly behaviour.

Interpreting Tees-Swale

We encouraged greater understanding of and connection to the Tees-Swale area through a process of working with communities to tell the stories of the landscape, its wildlife and its people in innovative ways.

On-farm public engagement

We enabled a small number of farmers to welcome visitors to their farm to improve people’s health and wellbeing and increase their understanding of hill farmers and their work.