A £20,000 charitable donation from a Lake District hotel group has helped with the construction of a new cycling track for the local community in Windermere.
English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues has been working alongside South Lakeland District Council and local partners to fund the installation of a new £50,000 bike ‘pump’ track at the Queen’s Park play area.
The hotel group which runs Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa in Windermere contributed the funds from its ‘Sam’s Club’ charity initiative with the money raised by both its employees and guests to the area.
At the grand opening of the new track, Olympic BMX star and European Games Champion Kyle Evans showcased his skills with English Lakes Hotels’ mascot Sam the Dog.
A new £120,000 play area has also been opened, which was funded by South Lakeland District Council.
Ben Berry from English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues said: “It’s wonderful to see this project come to fruition which will hopefully encourage more young people to get out and about on their bikes and hone their skills in the fresh air.
“It was great to see Kyle demonstrate an array of tricks and even better to see Sam the Dog try to emulate them. The Sam’s Club charity initiative was set up to support a range of good causes both regionally and overseas.
“It’s always nice to see a project like this taking shape on our home patch and see the benefits it has for youngsters.”
The £50,000 pump track has been constructed by Clark & Kent Contractors, who also created London’s Olympics BMX track. It has been designed to appeal to cyclists of all ages and abilities, with an undulating circuit of rollers, hills and camel humps.
“We are all very proud to have a project on the ground in the beautiful landscape of Windermere,” said Olympic BMX athlete Kyle Evans, 28, who retired from the sport after being crowned European Champion in 2018, and now works for Clark & Kent Contractors on projects around the country.
Kyle, who hails from Wigan, said the circuit’s design was partly inspired by the “hilly and beautiful” Lake District landscape, such as the distinctive corner with four rollers on the approach, which gives the impression of “riding a wave”. He said: “It’s something you wouldn’t experience at a usual pump track and it’s a standout feature that makes Windermere very enjoyable.
“The opening was a fantastic success and it was great to see around 50 people of all ages and abilities riding the pump track, not just on BMXs but people on mountain bikes and little kids on scooters. We look forward to seeing the facility getting used and bringing lots of enjoyment to the community.”
Kyle added: “My best advice to anyone would be to get yourself a bike, a skateboard, whatever you feel most comfortable taking part on, get a helmet and just go and give it a go. The chances are there will be a user group around the facility and the pump track community are very easy-going, very friendly.
“Don’t be worried – there will be people there who will happily give a helping hand when it comes to getting the experience to take that first step onto the course.”
Cllr Philip Dixon, South Lakeland District Council portfolio holder for Customer and Locality Services, added: “The new pump track at Queen’s Park is a great place for kids to go and have creative outdoor fun rather than just sitting at home in front of a screen.
“SLDC officers have worked really well with the Windermere Park For All community group and the generous funders to put in place something that is really enriching the community.”
The project has also been funded by £25,000 from British Cycling’s Places to Ride capital grants programme, as well as £3,000 from the Dulverton Trust and £2,000 from the Holehird Trust.
The refurbished play area at Queen’s Park opened in July 2021 and its £120,000 overhaul was jointly funded by SLDC; the National Lottery Community Fund; Windermere and Bowness Town Council; Cumbria County Council; Windermere, Ambleside and District Round Table; district councillors; the Frieda Scott Charitable Trust; Impact Housing; the Hadfield Trust; South Lakes Housing; the Bryan Lancaster Trust; Gateway Group; Lakeland; the Lake District Communities Fund; local businesses and local fundraising activities.
The ribbon at the new-look playground was cut by local schoolgirl Molly Lawrence, who designed the rainbow logo for community group Windermere Park For All.
