Pre-loved outdoor clothing is enabling youngsters to enjoy the Yorkshire Dales countryside whatever the weather.

The award-winning outdoor and travel clothing company Rohan has teamed up with the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) to give unwanted clothing donated by their customers a new lease of life.

Working in partnership with Gift Your Gear, Rohan took unwanted items such as fleeces, waterproof jackets and walking trousers and has passed them onto many community organisations and charities, including the YDMT.

Gail Smith, Green Futures Programme Manager at YDMT, said: “The Yorkshire Dales is a source of inspiration, health and wellbeing for many people, but some of the people we work with don’t have the right clothing to head out into the hills.

“Thanks to the recent donation of clothing, we can deliver inspiring and educational outdoor activities for young people, knowing that they will stay warm, dry and comfortable, no matter what the Yorkshire Dales weather might throw at us. We are delighted to be involved in this fantastic scheme, and are very grateful to all the generous Rohan customers who donated pre-loved clothing.”

Young adults from Specialist Autism Services in Leeds are one of the groups to have already benefited from the donated gear. The group took part in woodland management, bush craft and explored Ribblehead and Malhamdale, helping to build confidence, creativity, independence and social skills.

Talking about their experience, one participant said: “It felt adventurous to me. It felt refreshing and a completely different side of life.”

These activities are part of YDMT’s Green Futures programme which aims to empower and support the young people of Yorkshire and Lancashire to become more involved, aware and connected to the fantastic natural environment that’s right on their doorstep, providing inspirational experiences and practical skills.

Sarah Howcroft, founder of Gift Your Gear, said: “Thanks to the incredible generosity of everyone that took part and donated their gear at Rohan stores, we are delighted to be able to support the work of YDMT. Suitable clothing is vital to the enjoyment of the outdoors and I am sure this gear will get a great second life. Instead of gathering dust in wardrobes, attics and garages, it’s back outdoors where it belongs, gathering miles!”

Green Futures is part of Our Bright Future, a £33 million programme funded by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund and run by a consortium of seven organisations which is led by The Wildlife Trusts. Our Bright Future aims to tackle three big challenges facing society today - a lack of social cohesion, a lack of opportunities for young people and vulnerability to climate change.

Preloved outdoor gear from Rohan being put to good use by a Specialist Autism Services group visiting Malham.