OVER forty volunteers from a project aimed at encouraging inner city residents to enjoy the UK's national parks will be meeting up this coming weekend in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The nationwide Mosaic Partnership, run by the Council for National Parks, is a £1 million project aimed at developing links between people from black and minority ethnic communities and four national park authorities - the Yorkshire Dales, the Peak District, the North York Moors and the Brecon Beacons.

Around 120 Community Champion volunteers have been recruited across England and Wales to spread the word about national parks throughout urban areas, to lead groups themselves and inspire others to visit these special places.

They will be getting together on Saturday and Sunday with staff and members from the four national park authorities and representatives of the Youth Hostels Association to share information, swap experiences and plan for the future.

On the Saturday there will be a national feedback forum for the project and the rest of the day will be structured around the theme of 'Hidden Histories, Celebrating Heritage and Diversity in Yorkshire'.

The group will visit the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes to see 'The Hidden History of the Dales: People and Places waiting to be discovered' exhibition, which highlights the history of black and Asian people in the Yorkshire Dales.

They will also have a choice of outings and activities including pony trekking and walks.

Bill Wood, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority's Outreach and Education Manager, said: "This is an annual get-together to give the Community Champions a chance to exchange information and learn from each other and really boost the growing links between them and our national parks."