Cannock Cycle Trails Reach Semi Final
The Chase Trails Cycling Project has reached the semi-finals if the 2011 National Lottery Awards.
The awards are an annual search to find the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects, and they aim to celebrate and recognise the difference that those projects have made to people, places and communities all across the UK.
Vote to help them win the award for best sports project.
Vote online or by calling 0844 836 9721 (voting closes at midday on 20 June so vote today)
The Chase Trails Cycling Project involves local people in the design, build, maintenance and use of mountain bike trails in Cannock Chase, Staffordshire by providing equipment, training and machine hire to get the trails started. Over 100,000 people have ridden the network of cycling trails built in partnership between the Forestry Commission and the local community.
It was the biking community in the form of the Chase Trails volunteer group that really provided the inspiration for the project,” explains Jason Maclean, Project Manager. “Mountain bikers had identified the area as a good one to use and some people had started to build trails, but with environmental and safety issues to consider the Forestry Commission was able to get involved to help. It was very much the voice of the community that pushed this though.”
Lottery funding was used firstly to hire machines and operators to do the heavy work of the initial excavation. It then provided the materials for the Chase Trails volunteer group to use in completing the trails and in many cases to train them to use the necessary equipment.
The trails continue to grow thanks to the unstinting efforts of the Chase Trails volunteer group who build more trails every Sunday morning.
By voting for Chase Trails you’ll be showing your support for the trails and the work the volunteers do to build and maintain it. We’d encourage all of the mountain bike community to get behind us and show their support for trail development and the future of sustainable mountain biking in the UK.
