A GROUP set up to help struggling smallholders in rural North Yorkshire has become a major voice for the army of enterprises in five other counties.

Founded by Mr Roger Walker and his wife, Pat, at their home in Pickhill, near Thirsk, the North Yorkshire Smallholders' Society now has 218 members, many of them breeders of rare stock.

"Our workload has increased significantly as a result of the foot-and-mouth outbreak" said Mrs Walker, the secretary. With her oil-rig worker husband, Roger, who is the chairman, she runs a five-acre holding with Black Wensleydales and Shetland sheep, geese, ducks and a Shetland pony. The venture began when they took and reared farmers' pet lambs.

The society was formed after the Walkers discovered Pickhill had no fewer than 18 smallholders. Once they set about providing the smallholders with a voice, the membership grew and today it has spread to Lancashire, Cheshire, Durham, Lincolnshire and Northumberland.

The society is now to promote its members' products. "We have found that many smallholders are also skilled craftspeople, dry stone wallers and straw bale builders," said Mr Walker. It has also produced a livestock catalogue to sell members' stock or find replacements following foot-and-mouth.

Supported by Farmway, the farmers' co-operative, the society has expanded its activities, not least campaigning for local abattoirs. It is also promoting courses at Askham Bryan college on sheep-shearing, lambing and calving.

Among the benefits for smallholders are that they can take part in social events and, on a practical level, can share vaccines and save money. "We also hope to buy sheep shearing equipment," says Mr Walker.

Mr and Mrs Walker can be contacted at Littleacres, Pickhill, Thirsk, YO7 4JG, tel 01845 567471. The society is also on the web at www.smallholder.org.uk.