Fundraising appeal to save Heatherslaw Light Railway on track to hit £15,000 target

A fund-raising appeal launched by a north Northumberland visitor attraction has raised nearly £13,000.
Heatherslaw Light RailwayHeatherslaw Light Railway
Heatherslaw Light Railway

However, it has already smashed its original £8,000 target and is now well on the way to its revised £15,000 goal.

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Now, preparations are being made for reopening later this summer if and when coronavirus restrictions are further eased.

“Thank you so much to everyone who has supported our appeal,” it posted on Facebook.

“Following the government’s recent lockdown updates, we are making suitable plans for hopefully reopening later in the summer.”

As well as support from local residents and visitors, the fund-raising appeal has been swelled by a £4,000 donation from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership which partnered with Crowdfunder to launch a matchfund grant that ensures the small business sector is supported quickly during this time of crisis.

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There have also been changes behind the scenes, with Paul Smith set to resign as managing director from the end of May for personal reasons.

His brother, Darrell, will continue as financial director but will also be responsible for transitioning the business following Paul’s departure.

In a recent Facebook post, he said: “There’s a lot to do right now but I wanted to take the time out to say thank-you to all of our incredible customers and supporters who have contributed to our Crowdfunding campaign and given us a fighting chance of surviving the current crisis.

“We are continuing to monitor the Government’s timetable for transitioning from lockdown and preparing to run again as soon as it is safe to do so.

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“I’m optimistic that we can run in compliance with social distancing measures (potentially on a limited service) as we hopefully all get back to normal.”

The narrow gauge railway, a 2.25 mile track following the River Till betweeen Heatherslaw and Etal, usually attracts around 29,000 visitors a year.

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