Stump Cross Cavern owner promises free tours for deserving children if crowdfunder is successful

The owner of Stump Cross Cavern is offering deserving children the chance of a free visit if the attraction’s latest crowdfunding scheme is a success.

Lisa Bowerman has put her family’s own one-bedroomed apartment into a prize draw to help raise £200,000 to fund essential maintenance and repair work.

Supporters can pledge as little as £10 to win the ground floor apartment, valued at almost £130,000, in Pateley Bridge in Nidderdale. The prize includes stamp duty, conveyancing fees and council tax payments for the rest of the current tax year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The cavern has been open to the public since its discovery by lead miners in 1860 and now Lisa, known locally as cavewoman, is keen to inspire the next generation. She is offering 500 deserving children a cave trip tailored to their needs.

She said: “Reaching out and educating young people is a key part of the work that we do, so to show our appreciation of the public’s support, when the crowdfunder reaches its £200,000 target we’d like to offer free tours to deserving children. I’m passionate about developing young people and hope this will help those who wouldn’t normally be able to visit.”

Everybody who enters the raffle will also receive a virtual cave tour created by Otley business, Apollo3D.

Money raised from entering the apartment into the prize draw will cover essential repairs, including the renewal of the lighting. Almost £30,000 has been raised so far, but more needs to be pledged to help them reach their £200,000 target.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The family has already off raffled their luxury VW campervan so they could raise enough money to reopen in May.

That initiative - along with a 1,000 Cave Step challenge, which saw its owners walk the equivalent of climbing up and down the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world 44 times - helped to raise £70,000. The van was won by 29-year-old Chris Riley, who was diagnosed with stage four cancer last year.

To purchase tickets visit: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/win-a-home-pateley-bridge

There’s also still time for people to sign a Save the Caves petition in an attempt to get Chancellor Rishi Sunak to listen to their plea for help. To sign, visit: bit.ly/3gRHxF9.