ORGANISERS behind the West Lothian Cycle Circuit have raised £30,000 through a four-week crowdfunding campaign. Not only that, they did it with two days to go before the campaign closed.
The money raised by the crowdfunder will be used to erect 27 floodlights around the perimeter of the circuit, so that cycling can continue all year round, throughout the whole day.
Over £0.5million has been raised to date and planning permission has been granted. The community-led project, managed by local charity, Linlithgow Community Development Trust, has almost got enough funds to build phase one, a 0.5km tarmac traffic-free circuit featuring two loops.
Matthew Ball, lead volunteer, said: “We are overwhelmed by the response, the total just kept going up and up! We are so grateful to all 400 of our crowdfunder backers who helped us to achieve the £30k target.
“Donations were made by people as far away as London and Spain, but it’s the local community who really got behind our campaign.
“We would like to extend huge thanks to everyone who has shown their support via pledges, donating rewards or helping out behind the scenes.”
He continued: “The campaign received sizeable donations to enable us to reach the target.
“These include West Lothian Clarion, Richard Docherty of Livingston Cycling Club, Pedal Power, Deeside Thistle Cycling Club and Dunfermline Cycling Club.
“We are also thankful for previous contributions from local cycling clubs – Falkirk Bike Club, Falkirk Junior Bike Club, Edinburgh Road Club, Livingston Cycling Club and Kinross Cycling Club.”
Mhairi McMahon, from Crowdfund Scotland, said: “Coaching the West Lothian Cycle Circuit project has been very exciting!
“It’s the biggest project that we’ve seen as part of the Crowdfund Scotland initiative and we’ve loved seeing their campaign succeed.”
The cycle circuit is one of the flagship projects of local charity, Linlithgow Community Development Trust.
The Trust aims to make Linlithgow a better place to live and work through a community-led plan of action and support to local initiatives.
Pamela Barnes, development worker for Linlithgow Community Development Trust, said: “This is a great achievement for the Trust and all of the West Lothian Cycle Circuit Project team volunteers.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported the project to date!
“We are really grateful for the ongoing support from our main funders: West Lothian Council, SportScotland and Scottish Cycling.
“We are now in discussions with them to finalise funding so we can push ahead with building phase one of the circuit as soon as possible. We anticipate construction commencing later in the Summer and look forward to the circuit being open to the public by spring next year.”
ENDS
Notes for editors:
Image: artist’s impression
You can stay updated with the project via Facebook or find out more at www.westlothiancyclecircuit.org.
Linlithgow Community Development Trust is a local charity (SC045971), formed and run by residents of Linlithgow and Linlithgow Bridge to deliver change to benefit the community. Our aim is: “To make Linlithgow a better place to live and work, through a community led plan of action which provides services, amenities and/or financial support to local initiatives.”
Other main projects include Linlithgow’s community website, mylinlithgow.com, and a community solar energy project, Linlith-go-solar.
The West Lothian Cycle Circuit will be located next to Xcite Linlithgow Leisure Centre on the west edge of Linlithgow, West Lothian. The circuit will consist of 6m-wide tarmac with four inter-connecting loops totally 1km, floodlit for year-round evening use.
Features will include road markings to aid bikeability cycle coaching, safety embankments to keep disabled and inexperienced cyclists from straying off-track and a storage facility for adaptive bikes and hand cycles.
The circuit will be a safe space for children learning to ride, families and adults wanting to become more active and build their cycling confidence, people with disabilities riding hand cycles or adaptive bikes, and competitive athletes who want to train and develop skills away from traffic.
Runners, joggers, and triathletes will also be able to take advantage of the circuit for training. The weekly programme of open sessions, club use and organised activities will ensure the circuit is for everyone in the community.
Interviews and images available on request.
If you would like more information, please contact Pamela Barnes at pamela@trust-linlithgow.org.uk.
Quick links:
Our crowdfunder page is here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/letsbuildit
Our Facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/westlothiancyclecircuit/
Our Twitter page is here: https://www.twitter.com/wlcyclecircuit
And our website is here: https://westlothiancyclecircuit.org
MEDIA RELEASE issued by Linlithgow Community Development Trust. You too can share your stories (aka press or media releases), on this site. Email here for more information.
Check out twitter.com/scotsbulletin for your very own media releases feed…
Check out too twitter.com/allSportsPR and twitter.com/allCharitiesPR.
Stay connected with our various twitter feeds: Charities, Drink, Education, Energy, Fashion, Film, Food, Gardens, Legal, Motors, Music, Outdoors, Property, Science and Sports. And not forgetting Finance, Theatre, Travel, Festivals, Visual Arts, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Perth and Stirling.
Linlithgow Community Development Trust contact details…
Contact: Pamela Barnes
