THE DALES Recovery Fund this week paid out its first grants to financial victims of the foot and mouth crisis in the North Craven area - some of them interim payments for individuals and small businesses in desperate need.

Recipients included a farmer who cannot get his stock to market, a small shop, the operators of a bunk-barn centre which provides cheap overnight accommodation for walkers, and a local trade association whose members have been hard-hit by the absence of tourists.

The fund, set up in June by the Craven Trust to give emergency financial aid to people and businesses not entitled to compensation from official sources, made four grants of between £750 and £1,500.

Said appeal chairman John Sheard: "Some of these are interim payments to help tide people over very serious current difficulties and are open to review for further support in three months time.

"It is a small start but, we believe, just the tip of the iceberg. We have now sent out 110 application forms for grants and we are expecting many more in the near future.

"Like any charity with an on-going appeal, we do not know just how much we will have to distribute or how many people will apply for help. But it is very satisfying, only ten weeks or so from our launch, to be able to make our first grants to people who are suffering very badly."

Response to the appeal has been overwhelming. This week, the fund received £40,000 from two major charitable trusts which, with matching funding from the Government's Countryside Agency, is worth £80,000 to the appeal.

Also, tax-breaks have added another £45,000 so that the fund is now approaching the £700,000 mark towards its £1 million target in less than three months. Despite this success, the appeal still has two problems.

Says Mr Sheard: "The Countryside Agency's matched funding offer runs out on September 28 so if anyone wishes to contribute, it would double their money if they could get their donations to us before then. Even our £1 million target figure will not necessarily meet the needs of hundreds of people and voluntary organisations hit by this crisis. "But we are also concerned that there are still many people who, perhaps because of their pride, are reluctant to apply for what they perceive as charity. We do not look upon it in that way. We want to ensure that many of these individuals, small businesses and voluntary groups survive the present difficulties for the future well-being of the Dales."

The appeal's grants cover the area of the Craven Archdeaconry, which spreads from Sedbergh in the north 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 or phone 01943 831660.

For more Press information, contact John Sheard: phone 01756-720687; fax 01756-720414; email: john.sheard@tinyworld.co.uk