Pig sale saves Two Tunnellers’ bacon

10 December 2008

A £1.8M project to provide a cycle route through two tunnels in Bath is nearing its fund-raising target, thanks to 101 fibreglass pigs.

Sustrans’ Two Tunnels scheme aims to turn a 2.5m-stretch of disused railway line into a walking and cycling path, linking Bath with Midford and beyond. The sustainable transport charity has pledged £1M of Lottery grant to the scheme, and Bath & North East Somerset Council has offered up to £400,000. But there was still a funding shortfall.

The gap has now been halved after the pigs raised £200,000 at auction. Conceived by Gitte Dawons, ‘King Bladud’s Pigs’ had been decorated by artists and installed around Bath throughout the summer, proving popular with residents and tourists alike. They were then auctioned in the autumn.

Malcolm Shepherd, Sustrans’ CEO, said: ‘The outstanding financial donation secured through the hard work of Gitte Dawons and her team has made a significant contribution to making the Two Tunnels scheme a reality.’

Last December, Sustrans’ Connect2 won the Big Lottery Fund’s TV vote, worth £50M, to create cycling networks in 79 communities.

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