A NORTH-east Charity, Gravitate North East, this week announced their ambitions fundraising plans for 2020.
They aim to raise £150,000 to fund the pre-construction phase of a project that will create a community mountain bike and adventure park in Durris forest, between Banchory and Stonehaven.
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The money raised will be used to fund planning studies, legal fees, project management costs and planning application fees. If the campaign is successful, it will allow the project to move forward to the construction phase during 2021.
Full construction costs for the final build are estimated at around £8.5M. Once complete, the facility will offer year-round mountain biking on purpose-built high-quality trails. Other activities on offer will include treetop adventures, ziplines, a mountain coaster, nature trails and outdoor play.
Many of the activities on-site will be serviced by a chairlift that will take visitors from the hub café area to the summit of Cairn Mon Earn, where they will be able to enjoy panoramic views from the Dee Valley to the North Sea.
It is anticipated that once complete the adventure park will support around 80 new jobs and generate over 2.5M annually for the local economy.
Martin Byers, Chairman of Gravitate North East said: “We are at a critical point in the project that could be a challenge to fund, however the volunteer team at Gravitate have developed an innovative fundraising strategy that should allow us to progress with minimal grant dependency”.
The charity has launched a series of investment packages and public fundraising opportunities that will help them achieve their goal. One investor, eGuide Scotland, has already come forward and contributed £5,000 towards the fundraising campaign.
Martin Commented: “We are absolutely delighted to have teamed up with eGuide Scotland as our first investor. They offer a unique eBike guiding service that is a great fit with our organisation. We can’t wait to work with them more during 2020”
After a positive start to the fundraising campaign, Gravitate are now seeking further investments and donations from business and individuals to allow them to achieve their target.
