BMX / Scooter Pumptrack at Horam Recreation Ground

Aim

To build a Pumptrack for the children and young people of the village and area to be active and have fun cycling, scooting or skateboarding

Who are we?

We are trying to raise funds for a Pumptrack for local young people to be installed on our recreation ground.  It is the only public green space in the area, and was heavily used during covid.  As a not for profit organisation, run by local volunteers, we rely on donations and grants to help us to develop community facilities and we have to phase our projects. In 2023 we raised funding for our phase 1 project - GAP - Get Active Pathway - health pathway around our recreation ground which enabled everyone, including disabled people, people with general mobility issues, people with buggies etc. to access the ground all year round for exercise or just to enjoy nature. The planning for the project has been in collaboration with our local community, the resident users of the recreation ground,  local schools, GP surgeries, Active Sussex, Pembree (local bike components manufacturer), Forte Trailscapes and the support of our local MP. The pathway was generously funded by Biffa, Veolia and Horam Parish Council. 

More than just a recreation ground...

We are a village hall situated on the recreation ground in Horam, the land was bequeathed to the village by Constance Scott in 1948 with 'the object of improving the life for the said inhabitants of Horam'. The trustees are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive hub for our rural village providing health and educational benefits to the people of Horam by providing facilities the whole family can enjoy in one place to avoid travel to neighbouring towns. Using the original plans for the recreation ground, the current Management Committee is committed to upholding the original Constitution of providing various forms of leisure time activities for the purpose of improving physical and mental wellbeing of the community

Our newly installed path, we want to recycle the waste soil, in the background, into a pumptrack

Why are we crowdfunding?

Following a public consultation there was overwhelming support from local people for a Pumptrack, and we feel Crowdfunder is the way to make it happen.  Our local population will soon double due to new housing and there will be a big increase in young families.

We want to turn this mound of earth into a pumptrack

Why we NEED your help!

We need to raise £79,167 including £10,000 from this campaign. We have made 6 funding bids so far, including our local Parish Council, but none of them seem to want to be the first to make an pledge of financial support, although some of the larger regional/national funding organisations have said we should contact them again as soon as we have some funding offers agreed. So we have decided we have no choice but to ask our supportive local community members to help us on our journey. If we can just raise something, we can go back to some of those larger funders again!  We already have planning permission and we will be installing an asphalt surface which is approx. 100m in length. The Pumptrack will cater for all abilities, whilst challenging experienced riders & being safe for beginners as well as use for scooters & skateboards.  Parents, this is a great opportunity for your kids to have access to a free facility so they can learn a wheeled sport in your local area.

(Initial design drawing- subject to alteration)

Community impact

We believe the Pumptrack will be well used by young people for recreational and educational purposes by promoting cycling skills.  It will also promote opportunities to increase levels of physical activity on a regular basis, increase social contact and improve mental wellbeing, as well as promoting new friendships and family time together. We carried out a consultation, here are some of the comments from our supporters 

• “The pump track is a great idea as it can be used by so many age groups for various skills and building confidence. Once built it is easy to maintain at very little cost and due to its nature it’s not likely to attract groups seeking somewhere to commit ASB. It brings various age groups of the community together to carry out beneficial physical exercise”
• “We currently travel to Eastbourne for this. It would be great to have it here;
• "Amazing idea. Works well in other areas. It will be more eco-friendly to be able to walk to pump track and not drive elsewhere”
• “Our ten year old definitely using the Pump Track”
• “Needed. Get it done”
• “The pump track looks great fun I’d love to have a go”
• “Something extra for lads”
• “I have three boys and this would be amazing for them. 100% for this”
• “Better for younger users, good to meet people”
• “Yes, please. Great for young children to practice on bikes, keep fit, mental health” 
• “My son would love the pumptrack- he currently uses the one in Newhaven” 
• “This is a great idea – Fully in favour. We need a safe place for small kids to ride bikes and scoots”
• “The pump track is an excellent idea. The skate park is really successful and could easily be expanded. It is great to have facilities for children and teenagers who are often overlooked”
• “It will encourage biking and help learning”

The full consultation can be seen at www.horamvillagehall.co.uk

Design idea

Why should I care about a pumptrack?

• Modern, open access wheeled sports facilities are places where people of all ages and backgrounds can participate for free in a shared interest: learning new skills, building confidence, getting exercise and having fun. Wheeled sports can also offer something different to kids who otherwise avoid organised sport, and may be attracted to something more inclusive, accessible and cooler.
• Wheeled sports also offers amazing health and personal development benefits, including coordination and balance, mental health and stress relief, pain tolerance, precision, improved reflexes and patience.

How you can play your part

We ask for your help to achieve our Phase 2 objective of a Pumptrack at Horam Recreation Ground. There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.

1. Make a pledge. Please donate what you can to help make this happen. You can either make a straight donation or exchange a donation for one of the rewards donated by local businesses (see right hand of the site). It doesn't have to be big - every donation will help. Thank you!

2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.

3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!

4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!

YOUR SUPPORT will help us to:

• Provide free, open access wheeled sports facilities
• Build confidence in our young people
• Brings various groups in our community together
• Reduce travel to physical exercise in other parts of the county, its local!
• Provide healthy, outdoor, social and accessible exercise
• Provide new skills and hone existing skills
• Provide a facility that the community wants, community cohesion.

Families with the plan for the pumptrack on top of the mound (the teenagers wouldn't get in front of the lens!!)

This project successfully funded on 9th July 2024