A new project led by the Campaign for National Parks (CNP) has strengthened links between ethnic minorities and the British countryside.

The Mosaic Partnership has seen more than 200 leaders of ethnic minority communities in cities and towns across the UK actively promoting National Parks as places to visit. It has also given community leaders the chance to learn new skills, including map reading, leading walks and working with the media. It is hoped that the skills will enable knowledge and experiences to be shared throughout the communities once the project comes to an end.

Jonathan Shaw, the minister responsible for national parks, said: "The innovative approach to long-term engagement will be key to attracting minority communities to our parks. Active engagement like this within contemporary urban Britain should be held up as a fantastic example to others." The project has also involved four national park authorities developing methods of reaching a broader audience. Authorities including Brecon Beacons and the Yorkshire Dales have been involved in distributing promotional material to urban centres, as well as learning to deal with the needs of particular ethnic minorities' needs.

CNP now hopes to involve all 12 national park authorities in England and Wales in a scheme to work with ethnic minority communities in more than 20 cities currently suffering high deprivation and a lack of green spaces. Picture courtesy of Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority