Trail Pot launches new central fund to help finance road-building projects in the UK

Trail Pot is the UK’s first grassroots mountain bike trail development fund, created to “empower local communities and projects with the financial support they need”. The National Mountain Bike Development Fund is managed by a board of trustees and mountain bike advocatesand is officially registered as a charity.

Trail Pot hopes to find donations from private individuals as well as brands.

Building the Trail Pot

The launch of Trail Pot fires the starting gun into fundraising activities, with funds raised set to support the UK mountain bike scene. This includes advocacy groups, trail builders, and inspiring riders. Founder and Trustee Chris Maloney said of the charity launch:

“This is a charity set up solely to develop mountain biking at the grassroots levels: the most basic levels, individuals and groups trying to make a difference at their local level.

“I have been in this world for more than ten years. As we know, fighting, arguing, and stressing about finding money can make a difference in local projects. Trail Pot aims to change all of this by getting the money ready first and then finding the projects. It will be caught in a short time by feeding hundreds of sparks in the country. “We will enlighten the society,” he said.

There is always a ready source of free labor, but materials, tools, and paperwork cost money.

Some seed funding is available but to gain further momentum the charity is seeking funding from cyclists and businesses and a five-stage plan for continued reinvestment in the UK MTB scene is in place.

Once enough funds have been raised (they are targeting £20,000 for next year), phase two will begin, which includes opening the window for applications. From there, applications will be shortlisted and eventually selected and funds allocated.

Existing next to the excellent work of such bodies seems like a wonderful development. UK MTB Trail Allianceand the Development of Mountain Biking in Scotland. But we’re curious to see how the centralized Trail Pot and its fundraising activities will mesh with local hiking groups and local fundraising campaigns. I hope they can exist side by side, rather than competing for the same donations and robbing Peter, so to speak, to pay Paul.

Hopefully Trail Pot can strike some gold and help develop more and better riding destinations across the UK.

Who can apply?

Information released so far suggests the funding will target advocacy groups, trail builders and ‘inspiring cyclists’. As a community-focused charity, we will seek out projects and causes that benefit the local mountain bike scene, whether that be your local trails or advocating for cyclists.

Due to the group’s charitable status, there are various rules governing how funds can be distributed and how they can be raised. These are listed Trail Pot website, here.

For businesses and cyclists interested in supporting the charity, further information can be found on the Trail Pot website.