LOCAL businesses are being asked to join in a special fund-raising drive to protect the iconic Three Peaks in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

A week of sponsored events begins on Monday, aimed at boosting support for the area, which sees more than 250,000 visitors using its path network every year, without actually walking on the paths themselves.

It is hoped that a number of businesses will host events to raise money for the Friends of the Three Peaks, an organisation set up by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) to provide support for the its work in the area.

Steve Hastie, the YDNPA’s Three Peaks project manager, said: “The sponsored week is an opportunity to raise cash towards the maintenance of the network of paths without actually walking on them.

“Plenty of good causes benefit from having sponsored walks in the Three Peaks area and the idea of the week is to encourage the Friends of the Three Peaks to fundraise without putting additional pressure on the three hills.

“We are hoping people will do something where they live – for example, climbing steps in their place of work and maybe doing the equivalent to hiking up Ingleborough.” Anyone who would like to stage an event can contact Mr Hastie on 01729-825242 or by emailing threepeaksproject@yorkshiredales.org.uk.