Bike park opens after mum's two-year campaign

A mother's dream of creating a space where her children and others can ride their bikes has become a reality.

More than two years after Louise Raine came up with the idea, Richmond Bike Park welcomed its first visitors when it opened at the weekend.

The project has attracted significant financial backing from the likes of the National Lottery, Sport England, the York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority, Harmony Energy and Broadacres Housing Association.

The mum-of-three said the response from the community had been "a bit overwhelming".

The opening marks the culmination of two-and-a-half years of fundraising, planning and hard work by volunteers, businesses and supporters.

Raine launched a campaign for the park in Richmond as she had to travel for 45 minutes to find a suitable facility for her three children to use.

The free-to-use park, which is a network of graded bike trails built in fields off Green Howards Road, was granted planning permission by North Yorkshire Council in August 2025.

Despite organisers deliberately keeping the opening low-key, youngsters wasted no time in trying out the facility when it opened.

"We opened under the radar a little bit on Saturday because we didn't want big crowds, but literally within minutes of us putting the announcement out, there were local kids up there," Raine said.

"Two-and-a-half years down the line, and it's already doing what we wanted it to do, which was give somewhere for the local kids to ride."

She said that even though they had some significant financial backing for the project, the contributions of smaller local businesses and individuals had been just as important.

"I think the support that has made the biggest difference has maybe been all the individual local companies - the one-man bands who've turned up and dug a bit of the path and given up a day of their time," she said.

With the park now open, attention is turning to keeping it safe and well maintained.

About 18 volunteers have already agreed to take part in a weekly rota to inspect the trails, while organisers are hoping to recruit more people to help with litter picking and general upkeep.

There are also plans to introduce coaching sessions from the spring, with volunteers undergoing training and younger helpers being supported to gain qualifications.

Raine said the aim was to make the most of the new facility and ensure it benefited as many people as possible.

The park is already attracting interest from organisations beyond Richmond, including Darlington-based Future Pathways, which is bringing a group of students to visit.

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