A new pavilion was always the big goal of the incredibly successful Save the Herne Hill Velodrome campaign. Thanks to various sponsors (Sport England, The London Marathon Charitable Trust, the Mayor’s Fund and Southwark Council) that building will be completed in early 2017. Crucially however that building will still need kitting out.
This is your chance to help the Friends of Herne Hill Velodrome do that job, to provide all the essential equipment an excellent cycling pavilion requires and allow us all finally to say: “We saved the Velodrome”. In the long race to secure our wonderful venue’s future this is the lunge for the line. We need your help to make it happen. We need your donations for: The Big Finish.
Keep reading to see how you can help and the rewards on offer if you do....
“Hang on, hang on: Save the what?”
The historic Herne Hill Velodrome that’s what! A fantastic cycling centre-for-all in South East London, a vital resource for riders and fans for over 125 years, the iconic 1948 Olympic venue and the training ground for generations of champions. Bradley Wiggins, Laura Kenny and Joanna Rowsell Shand are just the latest on an ever-lengthening list.
And it nearly closed. In 2010 a drastically deteriorated surface and length of leasehold issues combined to threaten disaster: the end of Herne Hill. This is when the cycling community and local residents combined to launch the amazing Save the Velodrome Campaign. An official charity emerged (the Herne Hill Velodrome Trust, with the Friends as their fundraising arm) who drew up a three phase plan of action and secured an incredible 99 year lease with the landowners. The Trust's ultimate aim: securing the future of Herne Hill Velodrome for generations to come.
Phase 1
Resurfacing the track (completed in 2012, with all-weather tarmac)
Phase 2
Improving facilities (lights, an inner track and a multi-use games area completed in 2014)
Phase 3
Building and fitting out a new pavilion (due for completion in 2017, but only with your help!)
How can you help?
We need your donations to equip every room in the pavilion – the Club Room, the Changing Rooms, the Meeting Room, Kitchen, Office, Toilets and Storeroom. We also want to rebuild the old Grandstand (to the left of the pavilion) and refurbish it with over 250 new seats to give us that big crowd capacity Herne Hill deserves. There's an exhaustive list below showing how we will spend the £75,000 we are raising.
And what have we got to offer you in return?
Well, we've got loads of unique rewards to say thank you for contributing to this vital final stage of Herne Hill’s regeneration. The more you give the more you get. From limited edition ‘Big Finish’ caps, t-shirts and FHHV jerseys through to custom made FHHV/Condor Lavoro track bikes and personalised Herne Hill Track Days (with Big Finish kit thrown in). There are bespoke Pro Cycling Trumps prints and, perhaps best of all.....the chance to have your name on a seat in the refurbished Grandstand (right next to the new Pavilion on the start/finish line - we'll be in touch when the campaign ends to confirm your 25 characters!).
All the rewards are listed to the right, just click to donate and claim them. A special downloadable card is available to anyone who’s donating as a Christmas present, so your nearest and dearest will know exactly what they’ll receive early in 2017. Click here to download...
All amounts are minimum donations but whatever you give you’re guaranteed a warm feeling inside next year; you’ll know that you did your bit to keep Herne Hill Velodrome alive, that you played your part in…The Big Finish!
(More pictures coming soon, as the designs are finalised)
Thanks for your support, see you at the finish line!
The Friends of Herne Hill Velodrome Committee
On behalf of The Herne Hill Velodrome Trust
(Company Number: 07458529, Charity Number: 1140128)
Photo credits: Phil Wright, Tom Simpson, Marko Mulligan, Jon Baines, cyclephotos.co.uk, Wheels for Wellbeing + Tom Oldham.