A NEW £1.7million scheme to encourage people from ethnic minorities to visit the Lake District and other national parks has been launched.

The Mosaic project will aim to improve figures that show that just one per cent of people who visit the countryside are from ethnic minorities.

The three-year Government-funded project will also create “community champions” to promote national parks.

Organisers said there many people from ethnic minorities who feel that they would not feel welcomed in the 10 national parks, and many who do not understand what a national park is.

Park authorities and youth hostels will now be asked to promote their services in urban and cultural centres and cater more for ethnic minority needs.

Mosaic project officer Kabeer Bostan has now started work to organise trips to the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors from places including Manchester and Newcastle.

He said: “There are many people from the BME (black minority ethnic) community that want to visit the national parks but can’t for whatever reason.

“There are perceived barriers, such as not knowing about access rights; social barriers, such as fearing either rightly or wrongly that they will not be made welcome; and physical barriers, such as transport or not knowing where to go.

“We want to make sure that those who want to use the national parks can do so and can encourage others to join them.”

Programme manager Nina Arwitz said: “It is a myth that people from ethnic minorities are not interested. It is just no-one has gone to the trouble of introducing them to what is on offer.”

Bob Cartwright, park services director at the Lake District National Park, said: “We think this scheme can be a big success, especially if it brings more people to the Lake District.”

Salim Mulla, the chairman of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, said: “This is a fantastic idea because the national parks are such a great asset for this country.”