The company behind the Daelnet website has been shortlisted for the most prestigious environmental award in the country.

QDK Ltd, webcrafting specialists

Webcrafting specialist QDK Ltd is in line to win the Edelman Award for Best Environmental Website in the British Environment and Media Awards to be held later this month. The coveted award - won by the BBC last year - is conferred by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, and is open to national and regional media organisations.

QDK developed Daelnet over seven years ago to give an electronic voice to the people, businesses and parishes of the Yorkshire Dales and to showcase the company's web designing skills. Since that time - and with your help - Daelnet has grown into one of the most visited regional portals on the Internet. It has also been the inspiration for hundreds of other regionally-based sites across the world.

The judges were impressed by the range of environmental information available on Daelnet as well as the work of regular environment and countryside information contributor John Sheard.

John, an award winning former national newspaper chief reporter and magazine editor, founded his own business 12 years ago to satisfy a life-long dream: to write about the countryside from the rural, as opposed to urban, point of view. He has been contributing to Daelnet for a number of years.

The site was also picked out for its innovative applications of technology that directly involve its visitors in exploring or interacting with environmental subjects and concerns.

"Over 32,000 people come to the Daelnet site each month - to learn more about the Dales, to see what is happening in the local community and to discover what they can do to keep the Dales such a special place.

"The care and craft we put into Daelnet - essentially a non-profit service for the local community - is a demonstration of the level of service and enthusiasm QDK offers its clients," said Simon Fern, together with Phil Barlow, the founders of QDK and Daelnet.

The British Environment and Media Awards gala dinner and presentation will take place on Wednesday 23 October 2002 at Vinopolis, 1 Bank End, London SE1.

Media contact: Jane Ellison-Bates, Manifest Marketing, 01756 753232, jane@manifestpr.co.uk

QDK contact: info@qdk.co.uk