A POPULAR cycle path in West Devon is receiving a much needed facelift as part of a new scheme designed to 'put something back' into Dartmoor.

The '£ for the Park' initiative is a voluntary donation scheme launched by the Dartmoor National Park Authority where participants taking part in organised events on the moor are invited to make a donation in addition to their registration fee. The idea being that voluntary contributions will be used to support access and conservation projects in the Dartmoor National Park.

Popular cycling event, the Dartmoor Classic, which has been staged on and around Dartmoor for the past nine years and sees up to 4,000 people compete, recently donated £1,000 from its profits to the initiative.

Ken Robertson from Mid Devon Cycling Club, one of the organisers of the event, said: 'Dartmoor is the attraction for the Dartmoor Classic and this is our way of giving something back to the area.

'We want to donate as we feel that if Dartmoor is not looked after and maintained then we could lose it!'

All '£ for the Park' donations received will be ring-fenced and used for practical access repairs and improvements as well as for conservation projects.

Andrew Watson, head of recreation, access and estates for the Dartmoor National Park Authority, expressed thanks to the Mid Devon Cycling Club for the donation which is being used on the popular Nun's Cross Path.

'A counter on the Nun's Cross track shows that 10,000 cyclists use the trail a year and 20,000 people on foot a year. The route is very popular with organised events, including sponsored walking events, challenging events and charity events.

'We are very grateful for the donation that the club made to the project. It is our aim that large scale events put something back in to the Dartmoor National Park and help look after Dartmoor's special landscape.'

He added that it was not a prerequisite of an event taking place and is up to event organisers to decide whether to ask participants to donate to the '£ for the Park' scheme.

The path is used as part of the main Princetown and Burrator mountain bike route — a route which is part of the authority's Granite and Gears scheme.

Granite and Gears is a partnership project between the National Park Authority and Devon County Council, with support from other organisations, including district councils, the National Trust and the Forestry Commission.

The project was awarded £4.4-million funding by the Department for Transport's (DfT) Cycling Ambition fund in August 2013 to develop a network of multi-use trails for cycling improvements that will enable more people to get to the national park and enjoy Dartmoor by bike.

Granite and Gears schemes have seen repairs and safety improvements, the Peek Hill bridge line, new signage in Princetown and the Clearbrook ramp.

For more information on Granite and Gears, visit http://www.dartmoor">www.dartmoor. gov.uk/ cycling