Aberfoyle is a small in village in Stirlingshire with no facilities for young people except a Play Park. It's a centre of Mountain Biking with brilliant trails all around. We want to build a facility that will enable young people to develop their biking skills so they can enjoy the Great Scottish Outdoors. It's simply dangerous for them to cycle on the local country roads, but they need the skills so they can go off-road and into the beautiful local countryside. This would also develop a healthy, active and environmentally-aware lifestyle that they would pass on to their children in time. We're half-way to the funding target after being awarded £25,000 by Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund. Another key application, for £22,500 from Forth Valley and Lomond Leader, is being decided shortly. We just need a little more to complete the funding package.
What we'll deliver:
- We will build an interlinked Bike Park that will have trails, berms, drop-offs, jumps, skinnies
- It' will be on a natural hill just beside the existing Play Park
- It will cater for all ages from 3 to 93 and all ability levels
Why it's a great idea:
There are no facilities for young people; there are some fantastic bikers locally who have to practice their skills on pavements and in car parks, which suits no-one. There is absolutely no pathway to allow them the opportunity of a making a career in the sport, or even to maintain an interest so they can enjoy it throughout their lives and pas it in to their children. This would be a major source of hope for these young bikers and would also be a social focus where young people can meet in a healthy, social and sporting environment.
Steps to get it done:
- We'll start the building of the track as soon as the funding is complete.
- We have a solid estimate of the project costs from a detailed survey which estimates a maximum of £55,000.
Youth unemployment generally, and particularly in Stirlingshire, is frightening. The Bike Park will offer young people the prospect of a way into a career doing something they love. At the very least it offers the chance to enjoy learning new skills, enjoying what you're good at and meeting your mates in a positive environment, not at the corner lamp-post.
