RYEDALE School is supporting a project to create a safe path for cyclists and pedestrians along the A170.

The school is working with the Ryedale Cycle Forum to promote support for their Crowdfunding project to create the 800m long pathway which will lead west from outside Kirkbymoorside Primary School to the first Kirkdale junction.

It is the first section of what will be a safe cycling route from Kirkbymoorside and Helmsley to Ryedale School, also connecting the communities of Nawton and Beadlam, and joining the two market towns.

Helen Gundry, from Kirkbymoorside Environment Group, said they had already paid for the civil engineering drawings for this first section, to show that the path meets Department for Transport standards, using National Lottery funding plus a £500 grant from North Yorkshire County Council "Stronger Communities" fund, and some local fundraising.

She said: "Kirkbymoorside Town Council have helped us a lot already, securing an AJ1 Road Safety grant of £20,000 and have match funded. They have also provided a special bank account to hold any funds raised for this project.

"We are going to need around £150,000 in total, decent paths are really expensive but the reasons and benefits are massive too.

“Crowdfunder is a limited-time platform, and we have six weeks left. It allows other people to join in with their own fundraising events, to add to the total and also allows rewards on the site from local retailers to encourage bigger donations from the public. We would really welcome these two additional forms of help to reach our target.”

"Wouldn't it be great if children of all ages had the choice of safely cycling or walking to school? We could also reduce air pollution and congestion near school gates by having less traffic on the school run. This path takes us a step closer to these possibilities."

Domenica Wilkinson, Headteacher at Ryedale School,said: “We want to encourage our students to walk or cycle to school as much as possible and the volume of traffic on the A170 does not equate to a safe route to school. A path for cyclists and pedestrians would not only make a difference to our students, but the local communities too. If we can combine our voices to build awareness of this opportunity and raise the funds, then we can all benefit.”

For more information, go to www.crowdfunder.co.uk/kirkbymoorside-path-for-everyone