To celebrate the arrival of the Tour de Yorkshire into the Harrogate district on Sunday 6 May, Harrogate Borough Council has given grants to 10 local groups to make the visit of this spectacular sporting event even more memorable.
Earlier this year groups from across the district were invited to apply for up to £1,000 for activities associated with the event or inspired by cycling.
The fourth running of the race – extended to four days for 2018 – takes place between 3-8 May, with stage one (Thursday 3 May) starting in Beverley and finishing in Doncaster; stage two (Friday 4 May) starting in Barnsley and finishing in Ilkley; stage three (Saturday 5 May) goes from Richmond to Scarborough, while the final stage (Sunday 6 May) starts in Halifax and ends in Leeds, taking in Masham, Grewelthorpe, Kirkby Malzeard and Pateley Bridge along the way.
Trevor Watson, the council’s Director of Economy and Culture, said:
The Tour de Yorkshire is a great event for the district and we wanted to ensure that communities could bring to life their ideas for celebrating the occasion.
The race passes through some of Yorkshire’s most beautiful landscapes, taking in historic market towns and picturesque villages along the way. This funding will be used to add to the visual spectacle for residents and visitors alike.
Welcoming the Tour de Yorkshire to the area will once again put the Harrogate district on the global stage, helping us to build on our cycling legacy and cement our reputation as a location for both national and international events.
Such events don’t just offer great sporting spectacle, they also boost the local economy and provide continued benefit by encouraging more people to come and visit us.
Details of the grants awarded:
£650 – Bewerley Parish Council – for bunting and flags to decorate the Bridgehouse area of Pateley Bridge
£558 – Clifton Village Hall – for bunting and decoration throughout the village and at the village hall
£700 – Grewelthorpe Primary School – to make decorative bike wheels and a mosaic, working with a local artist
£650 – Kirkby Malzeard & Laverton Dallowgill Parish Council – for bunting, flags, banners and community events including a best dressed house competition
£500 – Kirkby Malzeard Primary School – a land art project made out of recycled materials
£575 – Kirkby Malzeard Village Hall – for banners and bunting to support community events, a big screen and refreshments in the village hall and an art and craft exhibition
£652 – Masham Parish Council – a food market, town dressing, land art, children’s activities, a big screen in the market place and street entertainment
£1000 – Nidderdale Chamber of Trade – banners for the high street, town decoration, a brass band and flags to give out to the crowds
£1000 – St Cuthbert’s Primary School, Pateley Bridge – an arts and planting project, celebrating cycling and nature
£625 – ‘Walkers are Welcome’, Pateley Bridge – maps of local walking routes and promotional literature to encourage visitors to return to Pateley Bridge for the walks
This year, locations along the route will also be vying for the title of ‘best dressed’, in a competition run by Welcome to Yorkshire. For more information go to www.letour.yorkshire.com/information/best-dressed
