YOU can make a pledge and YOU can light up caves

by Stump Cross Caverns in Greenhow Hill, England, United Kingdom

YOU can make a pledge and YOU can light up caves
We did it
On 21st June 2021 we successfully raised £73,667 with 4089 supporters in 122 days

We want to preserve and protect the heritage at Stump Cross Caverns for future generations to enjoy and teach about the subterrainean world

by Stump Cross Caverns in Greenhow Hill, England, United Kingdom

 New stretch target

New Campaign Now Live - 

Head to https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/win-a-home-pateley-bridge to be in with a chance of winning our lovely apartment in Pateley Bridge worth £130,000!

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Lots of people have been in touch saying they would like to donate to the Crowdfunder and help to #savethecaves for future generations. It has been through the overwhelming support of our customers that we could re-open at all and safeguard our wonderful team.

The stretch target will help with the conservation of the cave system, repairs and renewal to the lighting system as due to lockdown a lot of the lights have simply blown due to lack of use. We are working with cave lighting specialist to upgrade our system to a more environmentally friendly one which will be more sustainable. We are researching how to light the formations up in an aesthetically pleasing way so visitors can see the caves lite to their best advantage.

We are also looking to  invest in Education and get educational packs and resources updated for schools. We need to ensure Wifi is the best it can be so we can safely offer virtual tourism and give guided tours using the 3D virtual tour which can include  cave experts.

This will all help sustain us for future and make the caves accessible to all worldwide. We can’t thank you all enough, not only have we survived but now we can look to thrive and be stronger and better than before. Stump Cross Caverns saved by the wonderful people. Thank you each and every one of you! We have been closed for 2 easters now which is our busiest time and we miss you!

We were surprisingly turned down for a cultural heritage grant. We normally welcome 60,000 visitors each year to a rural area of outstanding natural beauty. The first part of the crowdfunding enabled us to survive and open. The stretch target will enable us to repair and maintain the caves and redevelop ourselves to stay here for you for future generations! The beauty beneath our feet. 


New Campaign Now Live - 

Head to https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/win-a-home-pateley-bridge to be in with a chance of winning our lovely apartment in Pateley Bridge worth £130,000!

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The Prize Draw for the Campervan enabled us to reopen after the Covid Pandemic. We kept the full team in jobs because of this!

We were able to welcome our wonderful customers back safely and let them enjoy our wonderful heritage and celebrate nature in limestone

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Chris Won Our Campervan to - Save The Cave

So a little bit about Stump Cross Caverns and why it would be such a travesty to lose it. 

It’s the only natural cave system in the Southern Yorkshire Dales open to members of the public. Continuously open to tourists since 1863 when it was discovered by lead miners. Contains beautiful grottos abundantly decorated with natural formations. Bones of numerous Ice Age creatures have been discovered in the caverns, including reindeer, wolverine, bison and wolves. All of these features make it a huge educational resource.

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Why do we need to raise money?

For the past 18 years it has been owned and operated by the Bowerman family. The site is run to create a convivial atmosphere much loved by locals and tourists alike. However, the lockdowns in the past 12 months have significantly reduced the turn-over due to business closures and reduced capacity in order to maintain government guidelines.

The facilities on site consist of a state of the art 50 seat cinema, a high quality restaurant (The Time Café), an individual dining ‘pod’ (known as the ‘Time Out Pod), plus access to all the beautiful rugged moorland walks in the surrounding countryside from our car park. The loss of such a wonderful attraction would be felt far and wide. We hope our business will be saved for thousands of tourists in the future. We’ve even thought of ways to redevelop the site but it would be such a shame to have to close it to the majority.

The support of you, both financially and politically is crucial to the survival of a much loved and historic, all year round attraction. I am confident that you and your family would love to visit either in person when allowed or alternately via ‘an exclusive virtual guided tour with our cave expert - our brand new technology connects our specialist with you and two friends located anywhere in the world to enjoy a fun and informative interactive 1 hour exploration.

Like many small businesses, we have been massively affected by the Covid-19 outbreak and we are desperate to keep our business and our wonderful team going. Sadly the impact for businesses such as ours is very real and with no clear opening date on the horizon, the future of this legendary Yorkshire venue and the dedicated staff who run it, is now uncertain 

How are we raising money?

In an effort to raise critical funds to help save Stump Cross Caverns I have decided I have no choice but to offer my much loved VW T30 Campervan (66 plate) up for the prize draw. It is stunning, top of the range, automatic and a dream to drive. The lucky winner picked on Your Harrogate radio on the 31st March is the wonderful Chris Riley  it couldn’t go to a better home and look forward to seeing the adventures of Chris and his lovely fiancé Ellie ❤️

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  • 2 litre Diesel engine
  • 7 speed DSG Gearbox, only 16,000 miles on the clock 
  • Pop Top Roof
  • Seats fold and slide into bed
  • Detachable dining table fitted between front and rear seats
  • All four seats fitted with inertia seat belts.
  • A microwave, cooker, mini grill and sink permanently fitted to the van on top of storage unit which houses a blast proof gas bottle enclosure. Gas Heater.
  • Permanently fixed storage units housing a small fridge, and electricity supply fuse unit. Insulated side panels, interior coloured LED lights. 
  • Superb 18 inch alloy wheels.

It has reached a critical stage for us and we need to take drastic measures to keep the business going.

Where is the money going?

All funds raised will go to help Stump Cross Caverns, a small family business recover from the devastating financial effects of the pandemic so we can be here for you on the other side. To maintain The Showcaves and newly refurbished rural Cinema/Time café bistro.Thank you for your support. It means the world to us and our team and local economy.

The winner was chosen at random via a LIVE prize draw, at 20.30 on the 31st March 2021  by Your Harrogate,  third party on social media. Chris Riley is our wonderful winner  and published on 'Stump Cross Caverns' social media accounts and website 

  • Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/StumpCrossCaverns
  • Instagram http://www.instagram.com/StumpCrossCaverns
  • Closing date for entries: 30/03/21 at 00.01

Thank you for taking the time to view this project. We hope you agree it’s going to a worthy  home with Chris. I genuinely CANNOT wait to hand the keys and registration document V5 to Chris, new owner. Private number plate not included as it was a ‘big birthday’ gift. We are just doing essential paperwork ready to hand over our fabulous Camper Van.

Please contact [email protected] if you have any queries or questions?

Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£50 or more

7 of 500 claimed

Light up the caves and have your name on it

Sponsor a light in the caves to carry us out of this darkness and into the light. Each £50 pledge will enable us to put one light in the caves and be sponsored by you for a year, with your name on it. A ticket to the camper van draw and a 3D virtual tour of the caves you can access as many times as you like until the end of April 2021. Be the light at the end if the tunnel

£10 or more

0 of 250 claimed

£10 donation to light up the caves

£10 donation to light up the caves. As a gift we will give you a 3D virtual tour of the caves which lasts a month. So you can see the caves from your armchair

£20 or more

1 of 250 claimed

£20 donation to light up the caves

£20 donation to light up the caves. As our gift to you we will give you a 3D virtual tour of the caves which will last a whole month

£25 or more

2 of 100 claimed

£30 voucher

£30 voucher to use for future In all areas, to be valid for 2 years

£100 or more

0 of 1 claimed

Sponsor a formation- Wedding cake

You would get a plaque with your name next to the formation for a whole year. The money raised would go towards the upkeep of the formation and lighting it

£100 or more

0 of 1 claimed

Sponsor the sentinel

Sponsor the sentinel for a year and have your plaque on it. This will maintain and light it for a whole year

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