A RECOVERY appeal launched to help small Craven businesses, voluntary groups and individuals in the aftermath of foot and mouth is expected to reach £600,000 this weekend - in just over two months.

And the money has come from scores of different sources - many of them based in the South of England.

Says appeal chairman John Sheard: "We have been quite overwhelmed by the response from individuals and organisations based far away from the Craven area. It shows that the Yorkshire Dales have a very special place in the hearts of people everywhere."

The appeal, with a target of raising £1 million, has now asked for matching funding from the Government's Countryside Agency, which has agreed to pay £1 for every £1 contributed by private individuals or charities until September 30 - a unique "double your money" opportunity.

With matching funding, the figure raised is expected to reach £600,000 this weekend and the appeal is anxious to start making grants to individuals, small businesses and voluntary groups facing financial difficulties but not eligible for official Government compensation.

"We know there are many urgent cases out there and we are anxious to help quickly before difficulty turns into financial disaster," says Mr Sheard.

The appeal organisers have been overwhelmed by the generosity of its donors, who range from pensioners giving £5 to major charitable trusts giving tens of thousands. Donations include:

• An anonymous £100,000 from a private individual.
• £500 raised by a concert in a Skipton Baptist Church
• £200 cheque from a Labour peer thanking the appeal for its "stalwart" efforts
• £800 from a restaurant at Barden Tower, Burnsall
• And bank notes varying from £5 to £20 given to committee members by complete strangers

The appeal is seeking applications for grants from people in the area of the Archdeaconry of Craven, which spreads from Sedbergh in Cumbria to Denholme, south of Keighley, and west into the Trough of Bowland and the Ribble Valley.

Applications for grants - or donations of cheques made out to the Dales Recovery Fund - should be addressed to: The Appeal Office, 76 Main Street, Addingham, Ilkley LS29 0PD (phone 01943 831660).