Ride Sheffield Launch Crowd Funding Initiative for New Trails on Peak/Sheffield Border

Cy Turner has been busy and is ready to announce an exciting idea which could become a model for funding new trails all over the country.

For some years now there have been plans to build a blue/red level mountain bike circuit around Lady Cannings Plantation, a wooded area on the edge of Sheffield (location here: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=428560&Y=383385&A=Y&Z=120).

The idea behind the project is to promote and encourage mountain bike use and provide some fun, intermediate level trails in the Peak. This will hopefully make getting into the sport in our area a little less intimidating as new, inexperienced riders will have an option to develop their skills before stepping up to the pretty full on rocks and gullies of the Peak itself. It will also be a hell of a lot of fun to blast around for any rider as part of a bigger loop. As you can see from the map, it’s just outside Sheffield next to some main byway routes so it’s in a great spot and will be a fantastic asset to have.

As you all know, the cuts which local authorities are experiencing are biting pretty hard now. Green space and outdoor funding in particular has faced fierce reductions and this is something that our friends at Sheffield City Council Parks and Countryside have run up against here. They have done some great work in moving forward the approvals process and getting us permission to build trails. What they don’t have these days is the funding for the trail itself and with a project of this magnitude, volunteer dig days just aren’t going to cut it for the whole job. We need diggers and trackbuilders in the woods cutting the trail.

This is where our new idea comes in; riders crowd fund the trail.

Part of our group are the nationally renowned trail builders Biketracks, (http://www.biketrack.org/).  Amongst other things they built the Parkwood Springs MTB circuit in the city.  We want to raise as much money as possible so that Jordan and Cheggers can get in there with their diggers and build us a great trail. We still intend to put in a massive effort on volunteer days to shape and finish the trail, but basically the more money we raise, the longer the diggers can be in the woods. Our initial aim is to raise at least £7,500 so the diggers can cut the route of the trail, but everything helps. More money means more and better materials to build with once the diggers are finished. More money means using mechanical equipment to fill and shape the trail.  And think about it; it’s not that scary a number. Given the volume of riders who visit the Peak, it would take just 750 riders all donating £10 and we’re at our first target.

£10! That’s a round of drinks. It’s not much to ask to get a new trail off the ground.

So how do you donate? You can either fire across your money via internet banking to the Ride Sheffield account using the following details:

RIDE
SHEFFIELD
40-31-02
91574205

Account is with HSBC.

Or you can donate via Paypal. The address for Paypal payments is ridesheffield@gmail.com

If you can spare more than a tenner, amazing, send it over. If you can’t, send a couple of quid; it all helps. If you’re totally strapped, keep an eye on the Ride Sheffield website
and come and put some spade work in when we need to finish the trail off. Be a part of
the project in any way you can and we can get this trail built.

We aim to break ground in the summer, with a finish date some time in the autumn. We’re really excited about this. There is so much space around the country which local authorities could be lobbied and persuaded to open up to us if we find the funding. This could be the start of something huge. Join us and make it happen.