Young people who wished for a new BMX track have seen their dream come in Little Hulton.
The £250,000 community bike park will be officially unveiled tomorrow, Thursday, August 19 after local young people put it top of their wish list.
It has been created by Salford City Council in partnership with sports charity Access to Sport, which is running sessions, bike clubs, and outreach programmes with local schools and the support of Little Hulton Big Local, London Marathon Charitable Trust, The Booth Charities and the Places to Ride Programme delivered by British Cycling, Sport England and the government.
The 200 metre long track in Peel Park can be used by bikes, roller skates and skateboards and is suitable for beginners through to experienced riders. It has been incredibly popular with local people since it was completed in June, with an average of 60 people using the track each day. The track is a safe and exciting place for people of all ages and abilities to go and ride their bikes, scooters and skateboards
Access to Sport used Salford City Council’s Crowdfunder initiative to raise over £15,000 which will be spent on running specialist ‘learn to ride’ programmes for disabled young people to give them the confidence to get out and ride a bike. Once schools return in September, Access Sport will start to organise outreach sessions with local schools, organisations and community groups.
City Mayor of Salford Paul Dennett said: “More and more people are enjoying cycling and BMX biking was given a huge boost by the recent Olympics. This is a top class facility for everyone to enjoy and who knows, it may create cycling champions of the future.”
Lucy Fisher, National Development Manager at Access Sport, said: “The new pump track has been so popular with the local community since it was completed in June. It’s great to see so many people of all ages and abilities, and on all sorts of wheels getting out and using the track. It’s a brilliant asset for the local community, inspiring people to get out on their bikes and get active.”
Chris Boardman MBE, Chair of Sport England, said: “This new facility will support our city region-wide ambition to enable more people to make everyday trips without cars, helping people to build confidence using bikes and trikes, and acting as a hub for a range of community groups. I wish all those involved great success.”
The Little Hulton Community Pump Track was built by specialists Architrail Velosolutions as part of Access Sport’s Making Trax Programme, the company behind the 2019 UCI Pump Track World Championships.
Joe Thompson, Facilities Grants Lead at The London Marathon Charitable Trust, said “Providing opportunities for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to be physically active, contributing to their physical and mental wellbeing, has never been so important. We are delighted to see the impact of the fantastic new Community Pump Track in Little Hulton, Salford. The planned outreach sessions are enabling more people to participate in cycling and other activities at the track, helping to inspire activity within the local community.”
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