Town & Dale – A Veteran-Led Exploration of Landscape, Heritage & Community

In March 2024, during a Veterans’ coffee morning at Catterick Garrison, a small group of veterans shared a simple yet powerful idea: to use our community minibus to get outdoors and explore the beauty of the North Yorkshire Dales National Park.

At the Veterans iHub, we had already created and launched the Catterick Historical Archive — a grassroots initiative that reconnects veterans with local history and heritage. Building on this success, a new community project began to take shape.

Titled Town & Dale, this initiative invites veterans to step outside, rediscover the landscapes around them, and reconnect with each other. It’s designed especially for those facing loneliness or isolation, offering meaningful opportunities for engagement through walking, shared exploration, storytelling, and creativity.

Participants are encouraged to take photographs, write about the places they visit, and contribute their stories to a digital magazine — one that is free, accessible, and open to all. The magazine becomes both a platform for veteran voices and a resource for the wider community, highlighting hidden gems, local history, and the quiet beauty of the towns and dales they call home.

But Town & Dale is about more than just veteran wellbeing.

The project also aims to promote sustainable tourism across the North Yorkshire Dales National Park, supporting local economies while encouraging respectful exploration of the area’s rich natural and cultural heritage. Through the pages of our magazine, we spotlight independent businesses, community events, heritage sites, and walking routes, helping to drive awareness and footfall to the places that make this region special.

By doing so, we hope to support communities across the towns and dales, bringing together the military and civilian populations through shared appreciation of landscape, history, and identity.

Ultimately, Town & Dale is about connection:
To place.
To purpose.
And to people.

It’s a living, evolving project — built by veterans, for everyone — celebrating what unites us, and offering a new way to explore the world just outside our doors.

🎯 Our Mission

At Town & Dale, our mission is to combat isolation, support mental wellbeing, and stimulate the local economy by empowering Armed Forces veterans to reconnect with their communities, landscapes, and each other. Through the publication of a free digital magazine, local engagement projects, and creative marketing initiatives — including a QR-linked postcard campaign — we aim to showcase the cultural and natural richness of the North Yorkshire Dales, while supporting local businesses and sustainable tourism.

🧭 Key Objectives

🪖 1. Support Veterans’ Mental Health and Wellbeing

Create a safe, supportive, and community-focused platform that encourages veterans to engage with nature, stay active, and build connections. Through regular group excursions, outdoor activities, photography walks, and volunteer opportunities, Town & Dale fosters positive mental health, routine, and purpose.

🌿 2. Inspire Sustainable Tourism and Local Economic Growth

Promote the North Yorkshire Dales as a vibrant, respectful, and veteran-connected destination. Through storytelling, photography, and place-based features, we’ll shine a light on local businesses, heritage sites, and natural landmarks — encouraging tourism and local spending that directly benefits our communities.

💡 3. Use Digital Tools to Amplify Engagement

Leverage emerging digital technologies — including AI-assisted content creation, QR codes, and accessible online platforms — to enhance the reach, quality, and interactivity of our content. These tools will help us better connect with veterans, visitors, and local partners.

🤝 4. Empower Community Participation

Put veterans at the heart of the project — not only as beneficiaries, but as active contributors. From photography and story writing to fieldwork and editorial involvement, veterans will help shape how Town & Dale looks, feels, and speaks. This ownership builds confidence, purpose, and a lasting sense of pride in their local area.