The Dales Way Association was established in 1991 by a small group of individuals, reflecting user group and tourism interests along the Dales Way. It now has over 450 Members. Over 100 of these are owners of guest house, inn, farmhouse and bed and breakfast accommodation along the route, together with a number who provide services such as baggage transfer, accommodation booking etc. The remainder are individual walkers. Membership is open to all who have walked, or plan to walk, the Dales Way or simply care about its future. Members receive a free copy of the Dales Way Handbook (reissued each year) and occasional Newsletters. The Handbook is produced in conjunction with the West Riding Area of the Ramblers' Association. Copies of the Newsletters are also circulated to other interested parties such as the National Parks, Local Authorities etc. The annual AGM occurs in the Dales each Spring. Ordinary Committee meetings are held every two to three months throughout the year.

Constitution

• Membership of the Association shall be open to all individuals and organisations who support the objectives of the Association and have paid the appropriate annual membership subscription.
• Members shall pay an annual subscription to the Association at a level to be determined by an Annual Meeting of the Association.
• Management of the Association shall be through a Management Committee consisting of the following four officers:- President, Chairman, Hon.Secretary and Hon.Treasurer and no less than three and no more than twelve additional members of the Association. The President, Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer and other Members of the Committee will be elected at an Annual Meeting of all members. (Amendment in hand to include new posts now created - see Officers below).
• The Management Committee will retain the power to co-opt other Committee members and to appoint other officers as it may determine within the total number of members as suggested above.
• Five members of Committee will form a quorum.
• All officers and committee members must stand for re-election at an Annual General Meeting of all members of the Association which must take place within three months of the end of the financial year of the Association at which a full annual report and audited financial statement must be made, and for which all members must be given at least 28 days' notice in writing.
• An Extraordinary General meeting may be called by authority of the Committee of Management or at the written request of at least ten members of the Association, providing that all existing members receive at least 28 days' written notice of the meeting.
• This Constitution shall only be amended by the majority vote of at least two thirds of members present at a properly constituted General Meeting of Members.
• In the event of the Association ceasing to exist, all funds and assets shall be donated to a suitable organisation which, in the opinion of Members present at a formal winding-up meeting, most closely reflects the objects of the Association.

Objectives

• To consider the route and status of the Dales Way Long Distance Footpath Route and related footpath links, and to support their appropriate maintenance, signing and way marking.
• To encourage the interpretation and conservation of the Dales Way and the landscape corridor through which it passes.
• To take an active role in the marketing and promotion of the Dales Way in ways that help to retain its essential character.
• To keep an up-to-date register of accommodation, route changes, transport and related facilities for the benefit of users of the Dales Way.

The present officers of the Association are:-

• Frank Sanderson; President
• Colin Speakman; Chairman
• Douglas Cossar; Vice Chairman
• Bill Griffiths; Secretary
• Alex MacManus; Footpath Officer
• Chris Musson; Web Secretary
• David Smith; Treasurer, Membership Secretary
• Committee Members:
  • Pam Knowles-Fitton
  • Pauline Robertshaw

The Association has its own 'logo' which appears on letter headings etc.

The Association sells a number of items as mementoes of the walk including badges, sweat & polo shirts & hats. These all incorporate the logo. Certificates are also produced for those completing the walk. Association funds have been built up from Subscriptions, Donations and profits from Sales. In its early days the Association received significant support from the Ramblers' Association and the South Lakeland Tourist Association. Funds are held for use to support the route, possibly as a part contribution to enable a suitable project to be started. An example is the creation of a new section of path, avoiding a short stretch of dangerous road walking, near Cleabarrow in the Lakes. The Association also purchased a supply of special Way Marks for both the main and the three Link routes at its eastern end.

The Association has the ongoing aim of improving the route where desirable. In particular it seeks to minimise any road walking where feasible. To this end an improved route has been created to avoid the dangerous road below Bolton Bridge and in lower Dentdale making use of the new bridge at Brackensgill. Discussions are in hand with the National Park for new paths to avoid road walking on a stretch below Hubberholme, a new off road route between Beckermonds and Oughtershaw and some scheme to avoid the dangerous road walking on the A683 to the west of Sedbergh. It is policy that there should be only one definitive line for the route with no official alternatives - although these are possible in a number of places and, indeed, do appear in some guide books. Use of any of these does not invalidate the completion of the walk. For this reason it is not thought practicable for the official route to avoid the lengthy stretch on the road down into the head of Dentdale due to the need for many to make use of accommodation there.