SINCE the launch of Snowdonia Giving in July 2016, many of Snowdonia’s leading tourism businesses have raised thousands of pounds towards important projects in the national park.

Snowdonia Giving is a pilot scheme that gives visitors the option of making a voluntary donation to local projects.

This is done by adding a small sum onto the cost of items such as accommodation, a meal or an activity.

Typically, this is no more than a £1 per transaction and is often less.

Currently, each year Snowdon welcomes approximately 600,000 visitors, a figure that has doubled since 2007.

This totals more than the visitors to Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, Mont Blanc and Everest combined. This obviously has an impact on the environment and Snowdonia Giving provides an opportunity for visitors to give a little in return for their enjoyment.

Over the last few months nearly £3,500 has been raised. The money will go towards funding an accredited course, run by the Snowdonia Society, which will teach traditional conservation skills on the mountains to young people.

John Harold, from the Snowdonia Society said: “The money will allow 48 young people to complete the course. Learning traditional skills, such as building dry stone walls, is crucial for protecting the history and heritage of the area for the future. This is also a fantastic opportunity for the young people to learn new skills which will allow them to work in the world of conservation.”

Read the full story in this week’s north editions of the Cambrian News