50,000 thank you’s to YDMT supporters

February 11, 2013

YDMT has reached a significant milestone. We recruited our 50,000th supporter!  

When we realised this, we decided to look back to find our very first supporter, who it turns out is still giving to us today. Our ‘number one’ supporter is David Cansfield of Harrogate, who made his first donation to the Trust when it was set up in 1996, and has been giving regularly ever since. 

To commemorate the occasion we invited both our first and 50,000th supporter, Alison Miernik from Knaresborough, to plant a tree on the Bolton Abbey Estate near Skipton.

YDMT’s first and 50,000th supporter join David Sharrod to plant a commemorative tree

Alison, whose donation to YDMT’s woodland restoration project made her our 50,000th supporter, said: “I have always loved trees and it saddens me to see some of them disappearing either through disease or felling. I am delighted that all YDMT’s trees are planted within the local area. Yorkshire is such a beautiful place and its surroundings should be looked after and contributed to as much as possible. I would definitely encourage members of the public and local businesses to consider donating trees to such a worthy cause and therefore help preserve this wonderful part of England. I am going to make it a part of my family tradition to donate four trees at the start of every New Year (one each for my husband Les, and daughters Laura and Emily, and one for myself). Hopefully this will also be a tradition for my daughters to continue.”

Our Director David added: “It’s really is wonderful to know that 50,000 people share our passion for the Yorkshire Dales to such an extent that they choose to support our work. I’d like to say a huge thank you to each and every one of these kind people – it is only with their generous donations that we are able to continue our vital work. We are delighted to have reached this significant milestone in the charity’s life, and are looking forward to meeting many more people who wish to support our work in the future.”