Miles of Smiles start with a single journey - and we need your help to keep moving!
DonateOur Story
Open Country was first established as a pilot project with a simple ambition: to make the countryside more accessible and inclusive for people with physical and learning disabilities, and mental health and sensory needs.
Now in our 36th year, we provide a wide-ranging programme of accessible outdoor activities across North and West Yorkshire, designed to improve physical and emotional wellbeing, reduce isolation and enable people to enjoy, explore and contribute to the natural environment.
Our activity programme includes:
- Accessible and inclusive walking
- Tandem cycling
- Various conservation projects
- Gardening
- Outdoor and adventure groups
- Residential trips
Through these opportunities, our members can discover new places, build friendships, develop confidence and skills, and experience the freedom and many benefits that spending time outdoors can bring.
Our Aim
We are currently aiming to raise £88,000 to purchase a new wheelchair accessible electric minibus by January 2027. For our members, a minibus is so much more than just a vehicle. It helps unlock access to the countryside and the physical, emotional and social benefits of spending time outdoors.
Our minibuses help us to:
- Collect members from their homes, making it easier for them to take part in our activities.
- Travel to rural and countryside locations across North and West Yorkshire.
- Carry specialist equipment, including tandem cycles and conservation tools.
- Explore new places and experiences that can be difficult to reach using other forms of transport.
- Travel together, giving members another opportunity to spend time with others and build long-lasting friendships.
For many of the people we support, having accessible transport available makes it much easier to take part in experiences and visit places that may otherwise be difficult to access.
Every Donation Makes a Difference
Every donation, no matter how big or small, will go towards our new minibus and help us get closer to our £97,892.40 target. See our Minibus Campaign to donate.
Thank you for supporting Open Country!
Our fully accessible minibuses are utterly essential to our work, enabling hundreds of disabled people each year to enjoy the myriad delights of the great outdoors. We are very much indebted to the many funders who generously support our minibus appeal.
David Shaftoe, Chief Officer
Get In Touch
Community House, 46 East Parade, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 5LT
Harrogate Hub: 01423 507227 (press option 1)
Wakefield Hub: 01423 507227 (press option 2)
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Registered Charity No: 1107331 Company No: 5155859
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