Business and charity leaders took a day off work to learn more about a project to protect the beautiful Three Peaks.

Nearly 50 guests met at the award-winning Traddock Austwick to find out how they could benefit even more from their corporate and charity membership of the Friends of the Three Peaks.

The group was launched last year and is the latest phase in a new, three-year project to try to protect and conserve the area, which receives about 250,000 visitors a year and, in 1986, was judged to have the most severely eroded footpath network in the UK.

Three Peaks Project Manager Steve Hastie said the event – the first to be held since the launch – aimed to provide business people with the chance to learn about the work of the Three Peaks Project and how they could benefit from membership.

“The meeting has been really positive, with lots of ideas for people to think about,” he said.

“Our business and charity supporters are key to telling the story of the Three Peaks to their customers and clients and they came up with some very innovative ideas to promote the project through their individual organisations.

“Hearing such enthusiasm fills me with hope for the future of the area.

“I would like to say a big thank you to the hotel, which provided the venue and the food for the event free of charge, and to all the businesses and individuals who gave prizes for the raffle.”

YDNPA chairman Carl Lis said: “The general feedback from them was that they loved the Three Peaks Project logo and they were very enthusiastic about the work involved in preserving this beautiful landscape.

“They could all see the benefits of being associated with the project through the Friends group and we have taken away a lot of ideas that we can hopefully develop.”

Guest speakers at the event included Calendar Girl Angela Baker, who was the first Friends member, and Masham-based author and marketing consultant Susan Briggs.

During the day the guests were taken to see a newly-built bridge at Far Moor on the Pennine Bridleway.

Yorkshire Dales Photography and artist Lucia Smith, who has galleries in Ilkley and Harrogate, staged exhibitions of their work at the event and donated prizes for the raffle along with Yeomans Outdoor Leisure and Angela, who presented a signed Calendar Girls calendar.