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Cyclists, walkers and riders will gather today (Thursday 13th September) on Southport sea front to celebrate the official launch of the Trans Pennine Trail, a new 350 mile coast to coast route across the North of England. The Trail, which received a Millennium Commission lottery grant of £5.83 million, provides a new pathway linking major towns and cities from Southport and Liverpool to Hull and Hornsea, and Leeds to Chesterfield. The Trans Pennine Trail provides a 'green' and enjoyable way to travel from urban centres to the countryside. It passes distinctive scenery such as the Peak District National Park, Mersey Forest and South Yorkshire Forest as well as canals, villages and vibrant cities which are all at the heart of the North of England's industrial and rural heritage. Many sections of the route have easy access for people with disabilities and are particularly suitable for families. In addition, many miles are also available for horse riders. Speaking about the project, Millennium Commission Director of Projects, Doug Weston CBE said, "The Trans Pennine Trail is a spectacular route which offers a new throughfare across the UK for both people in the North of England and visitors to the region. It is an excellent use of Millennium Commission lottery money as it is estimated that a quarter of the UK population lives within 20 miles of the Trail. "The Trans Pennine Trail will bring huge benefits across the region by boosting local economies, helping to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, and encouraging people to get active." The Trail also forms part of the National Cycle Network which has been created by the sustainable transport charity Sustrans and is supported by a Millennium Commission Lottery grant of £43.5 million. It links several other Commission funded projects including the popular science adventure centre, Magna in Rotherham, The Deep in Hull which will open next year and the celebrated Sheffield Millennium Galleries. The Millennium Commission is distributing over £2 billion of lottery money around the UK. Other building and environmental projects in the North of England include the York Millennium Bridge, Leeds Millennium Square and the National Wildflower Centre in Merseyside. Lottery money is also reaching every aspect of communities through the creation of new woodlands, green spaces and cycle paths. In addition to this capital funding programme, over 17,500 small grants have been given to individuals across the UK to put a bright idea into practice to benefit themselves and their wider community through the Millennium Awards Scheme. A huge range of innovative projects have been undertaken from setting up youth groups to neighbourhood clean up schemes. -ends- Notes to Editors For details of the event please contact Louise Owens on 07899 790674. - The Millennium Commission is one of the good causes funded by the National Lottery.
- The Millennium Commission has also supported:
- Around 200 new buildings, environmental projects and visitor attractions on over 3000 sites across the UK.
- A UK-wide programme of community festivals which began on New Year?s Eve 1999 and culminated on New Year?s Eve 2000 with celebrations in 32 towns and cities across the UK.
- The Millennium Experience at Greenwich and the National Programme.
- The Millennium Commission also works with over 100 Awards Partner organisations to distribute Millennium Awards to individuals for community based projects. Over 17,500 people have already received a Millennium Award and there are still thousands of Awards available. Further information is available on 0800 06801 2000.
For further information
contact the Millennium Commission Press Office on 020 7880 2007, out of hours 07775 573263. The Millennium Commission web sites can be accessed atwww.millennium.gov.uk andwww.starpeople.org.uk For television enquiries please contact Marc Leuw at The Television Consultancy on 020 7435 4343. back to top Copyright © 2000 The Millennium Commission
Millennium Commission 13th-September-2001
Categories: News Archive
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