Open Country

Helping People with Disabilities to Access the Countryside

© 2013  Open Country - All Rights Reserved

20 Years of Experience

 

Open Country has over 20 years of experience in successfully organising and leading countryside activities for people with disabilities. On the back of this experience it is able to offer high quality information, training and advice to organisations wanting to provide better access to their countryside sites and events as well as individuals and their families wishing to access the countryside independently.

 

Access For All

 

We have produced a range of information to encourage access for all to the countryside. We offer Countryside Directories for People with Disabilities covering the whole of Yorkshire as well as County Durham. We have also produced three Breakfree packs for the Harrogate and Nidderdale area. These packs contain cards with walk descriptions and maps tailored especially with wheelchair users in mind.

 

Thriving Charity

 

Open Country began in 1990 as a project managed by: The Countryside Commission, Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire Social Services, Harrogate Health Authority and the Fieldfare Trust and funded by Powergen, Yorkshire Field Studies Trust and Mencap. Since then Open Country has developed into a small charity with huge aims! On an average week we run up to seven countryside activities as well as keeping on top of the small mountain of admin work associated with all that we do. Over the years we have been recognised by many awards including the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2006 and the Duke Of York’s Community Initiative in 2008.

 

Trustees

 

We have a board of nine trustees who oversee everything that we do as well as an Advisory Group comprising service user representatives from each activity group, volunteers, trustees, staff and other interested parties. The Advisory Group is used as a chance for members to feedback on activities we have run in the past as well as helping decide which direction we should be going in.

 

Patrons

 

Open Country is delighted to have two high-profile and local patrons: Lord Willis of Knaresborough & Harrogate and Air Commodore Simon Bostock DL. Their input is invaluable in all aspects of Open Country’s work.

 

Ambitious Plans

 

We are currently exploring the idea of expanding Open Country into other areas and are in the process of collating questionnaire responses from the West Yorkshire area. If you would like to discuss these plans then please contact us here

About Us