BRADFORD’S Sikh community has helped to support a key local bus service in the Yorkshire Dales.

Working closely with the Friends of the Dales (Yorkshire Dales Society) and Dales & Bowland CIC, all six Gurdwaras (Sikh Temples) in Bradford have combined to make a donation of £1,800 towards the cost of keeping a valuable lifeline for Dales communities and their visitors - the popular Saturday 74 bus service between Ilkley, Bolton Abbey, Burnsall and Grassington.

DalesBus 74, managed by D&B CIC as part of the DalesBus network, now also provides a direct link from Wakefield, Bradford and Shipley to the Yorkshire Dales National Park for people living in the cities as well as providing an important Saturday shopping service to Ilkley for Dales residents.

The board’s chairman Mr Parvinder Singh and the vice president Mr Tarsem Singh handed the cheque to to Friends of Dales chairman Mark Corner, at Grassington Interchange on Saturday.

Mark said: “We warmly welcome this wonderful support from the board representing Bradford’s six Gurdwaras. Friends of the Dales believe strongly that the National Park was created for everyone, of all backgrounds and faiths, to enjoy in an environment-friendly way. This bus will help that to happen. We hope that many more people from the Sikh and other communities in the Bradford area will use the service regularly to enjoy all that the Dales has to offer.”

Bradford Ramgarhia Gurdwara’s President, Dr Kuldip Kaur Bharj, OBE, was delighted to see introduction of this service saying: “The DalesBus will improve accessibility to Yorkshire Dales for Sikh and other communities, exposing people to natural environment and green spaces, promoting their physical and mental health. Bringing diverse communities together will build on cohesion within and between communities, improving people’s quality of life.”

Mr Sukhdev Singh, board member added: “Coming together and sharing is appreciated by all and sharing has a special place in Sikh faith. The Sikhs perceive that the eternal light in all such bounties created by the Creator can be shared by all. We have come here to share the beauty of the Dales with you and bring our good wishes.”

Full details of DalesBus 74 between Bradford, Ilkley and Grassington which will operate on every Saturday until October 19th are in the DalesBus timetable from tourist and visitor centres in the region, or can be downloaded at www.dalesbus.org.