A FUNDRAISING strategy to save a town's open spaces will be launched at a public meeting next week.

Richmondshire Landscape Trust has until the end of July to raise £40,000 to buy 88 acres of land in and around Richmond, including Westfield, Sleegill, South Bank and Jack King's Wood.

Trust members have put together a range of fundraising ideas, including holding concerts, an art auction, a car boot sale and a square inch campaign, where people can pay a pound to buy a square inch of the land.

People will also be able to bid to have the Reeth Road field named after them.

The fundraising campaign began when Richmondshire District Council announced plans to sell the land as part of an asset review.

The announcement caused a public outcry, and the council agreed to sell the land to a community trust at a knock-down price of £120,000.

As part of the agreement, the trust has three years to pay the full sum of money in equal instalments of £40,000 a year. The first payment is due at the end of July.

The trust's fundraising arm, Richmondshire Open Spaces Appeal (Rosa), will present its money-making ideas at a public meeting on Tuesday next week at 7.30pm in Richmond Town Hall.

About £8,500 has already been raised since the trust was launched on April 22, and more than 150 members have been recruited.

Rosa chairman Frank Gibbon said: "We have made an excellent start to the fundraising campaign and our membership is growing fast.

"However, there is still a long way to go and we would urge as many people as possible to come along to the next public meeting.

"Lots of exciting ideas for raising money have already been flooding in, but the more creative input we have, the better."

The trust is negotiating with the district council to take over the grazing licences on the land.

These generate up to £6,000 a year.

Rosa treasurer Gordon Love said: "We are very grateful to the council for its support in helping the trust secure ownership of the land, not only in selling for below the market value, but also in allowing us to take over the grazing rights."