The Herne Hill Velodrome Trust (HHVT) has today announced the appointment of a 12 strong Board of Trustees as well as being awarded a significant amount of funding which, subject to planning permission, will help speed up delivery of a new and revitalised Herne Hill Velodrome site.

The Trust has been awarded £400,000 by Southwark Council’s 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Legacy Fund which invited capital project bids to boost the number of people taking part in sport in the borough

Founder of the campaign and Chair of the Herne Hill Velodrome Trust Trustees Hillary Peachey said; “A colossal effort has gone into bringing together our Board of Trustees and I am delighted each of them is involved. Over the summer the whole team has worked tirelessly to bring a real structure to the campaign, and we are now reaping the rewards with news that our application to Southwark Council’s Olympic Legacy fund has been successful”.

Southwark Council received forty applications Herne Hill Velodrome is one of ten projects being awarded funds. The money will be spent entirely on developing the site into a multi-purpose cycling centre for the whole community, including family facilities for the in-field.

The announcement comes a little after a month after Herne Hill was reopened following the completion of a £500,000 track resurfacing project funded by British Cycling. Ian Drake, Chief Executive of British Cycling, said:

“Coming so swiftly after British Cycling’s significant investment in the resurfacing of the track at Herne Hill, this award maintains the momentum in terms of bringing the facility as a whole up to standard. It is fantastic news and we look forward to working closely with the other partners at Herne Hill to turn the plans into reality. We also hope this additional investment provides a further boost to the ongoing fundraising efforts – Herne Hill is an iconic venue within the British cycling scene and deserves to be returned to its former glory.”

Separate to the Southwark Council funding application and following a recruitment process involving interviews with an independent panel, 12 Trustees have been selected based on their knowledge and expertise in a particular field and together they will lead the effort needed to deliver the long-term goals of the Trust.

The Board of Trustees will work with the already established Steering Group, made up of representatives from Sport England, British Cycling, the London Marathon Charitable Trust and HHVT. The remit of the Steering Group is to develop options for the re-development of the velodrome site and facilities.

The Trustees' first role is to review the progress of the draft business case being prepared by Sports Solutions under guidance of the Steering Group. Sports Solutions has been reviewing options for the site including a potential new pavilion, with options considering opportunities for income generation, capital cost estimates and potential grant funding sources.

The Trust will soon begin a full programme of consultation on options for the site ensuring we reach as many local, cycling, sporting, educational, diversity and recreational groups as possible. Once a business strategy is in place the Trust will also be able to begin the process of approaching sponsors to help fund the ultimate scheme. The aim is to have the strategy in place by the end of 2011.

Trustees

Alastair Hanton – A founder member of the Save Herne Hill Velodrome campaign, advocate of cycling for all.
Alec Shaw – Project management, marketing, sponsorship, construction, arts
Charmian Hornsby – Local resident, community & friends organisations
Graham Pierce – Treasurer, financial management, Brixton cycles member. Will also act as Treasurer to the Board of Trustees
Hillary Peachey – Founder of the Save the Herne Hill Velodrome campaign, charity & events specialist.
John Scripps – Cycling development coach with British Cycling, grants, Velo Club de Londres member, Herne Hill Youth CC coach.
Katharine Ford – Sports sponsorship pitches, Olympic legacy
Lesley Pinder – Corporate and community fundraising, supporter development, member of Dulwich Paragon CC.
Mark Downes – Leisure management, capital funding, Olympic legacy, London organisations
Noah Samuels – Capital projects, sales director, digital media
Peter King – Executive Director of British Cycling, keen rider, a founding Trustee
Russell Findlay – Sports charity management & development