FUNDRAISERS have secured more than £90,000 to refurbish walks by the River Derwent.

Members of the Riverside Group of the Malton & Norton Area Partnership (MNAP) want to repair and enhance the riverside walks in Lady Spring Wood.

The work, which is expect to start this autumn, follows a survey of local users and collaboration with interested parties, including the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Internal Drainage Board, as well as local stakeholders, including the town councils and landowner the Fitzwilliam Trust Corporation.

Fiona Croft, of the Riverside Group, said: “When the announcement was made in the spring that removal of boardwalks and a bridge in this area was imminent, we prioritised creation of a plan to repair and enhance the riverside network of paths between Orchard Fields, Lady Spring Wood by the River Derwent and across the Gannock Field to Old Malton. We have been working hard and achieved a lot in very little time, with the invaluable support of locals.”

MNAP has successfully secured funding from Ryedale District Council’s Section 106 Funds (£69,527), Yorventure Environmental Body Ltd (£17,427) and through a match funding campaign, attracting donations from 95 local supporters and businesses Tate-Smith Ltd and Armco IT Consulting Ltd (£5,530), making £92,484, sufficient to complete all the major works in the plan.

Sarah Oswald, of the Riverside Group, said: “Along with the rest of MNAP, I am absolutely delighted that we have achieved this scale of fundraising in about six months. As a regular user of the Lady Spring Wood and wider path network I got involved to make sure that we retained this great asset, and now we know we can achieve our aim.”

For details, email Fiona Croft on croft.fiona@gmail.com or 07904 739560; or Sarah Oswald on sarah@theauthenticspark.com or 07989 656690.