News / ‘Miles for tiles’ – cycling fundraiser for new hall roof
THE COMMUNITY of Sandwick is to host a cycling sportive event to raise funds towards a new roof for the popular local Carnegie Hall.
Experienced and novice cyclists alike are being encouraged to take part in the fundraiser, in which participants can choose between 10, 25 and 50 mile distances.
Keen cyclists from the village are behind the “miles for tiles” event, which will also include soup and sandwiches at the hall, to be held Saturday 23 September.
Carnegie Hall has enjoyed a major upturn in fortunes having been on the brink of closure a few years ago, with its intimate environment and enthusiastic hall committee transforming it into a popular venue for concerts and other social events.
Registration is between 9am and 9.30am and the cycle gets underway at 10am. Youngsters can take part provided they are accompanied by a parent.
Local cyclist Steven Jamieson said the idea was for the event to be run along similar lines to last weekend’s Mind Your Head fun run.
“We’re hoping to attract anybody that’s looking to raise their fitness or challenge themselves, anybody that wants to keep the Carnegie Hall open as a venue,” he said.
“You don’t need a fancy bike or fancy cycling clothes to enter, you just need a roadworthy bike and a helmet.”
The event, which has been approved by British Cycling, will be fully marshalled with a feeding station where participants can grab water and snacks.
The 10-mile circuit leaves Sandwick and heads south as far as the Bigton junction at Channerwick before turning back. The 25-mile is a loop from Sandwick around Clumlie and Spiggie Loch and back to the hall, while 50-mile route is a repeat of that loop that allows cyclists the chance to “conquer the Spiggie Hotel climb twice!”
Carnegie Hall committee chairman Brian Wishart said the volunteers who run the hall were always looking for fresh activities to get involved in.
“Our main fundraising purpose would be, having got the kitchen all sorted, the actual fabric of the building, and the roof would be the biggest priority now,” he said.
While the hall was never officially closed, it was “at the point of having to consider shutting” because of difficulties in paying bills a few years back.
But a committed group of people clubbed together to safeguard its future, sprucing up the building’s interior and creating a friendly, laid back atmosphere at events.
“Our main line of thinking is to try and make it as special an experience as we can for folk using it,” Brian said. “To begin with, with that new group of folk, we were probably thinking we’d have to rebuild and turn it into a modern hall, but bit by bit we’ve come away from that idea completely.
“Our aim is to maximise the qualities that the place has already, and I think that’ll continue to be the way.”
- The Carnegie Sportive takes place on Saturday 23 September starting at 10am, with registration from 9am. Soup, sandwiches, hot drinks and cakes will be served at Carnegie Hall from noon until 4pm. You can register through the British Cycling website, by emailing carnegiehallsandwick@hotmail.co.uk or on the day.
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