MTBA aiming to raise $50,000 for bushfire relief

Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA) has teamed up with the Australian Sports Foundation to launch a bushfire recovery fund. 

The MTBA Trail Recovery and Club Support Program was launched earlier this week in response to the devastating bushfires that have gripped Australia over the past few months. 

With over 4.9 million hectares burnt in New South Wales alone, the crisis has left a telling mark on Australia’s landscape as well as her people. 

Much of that land was once mountain biking paradise with a vast number of beloved trails being consumed and damaged in the inferno.

There is something we can do as a community, however. By donating to the Support Program, you can help clubs get back on their feet.  

In a statement, MTBA highlighted the impact donations could have on suffering clubs and communities. 

‘Research has shown that many people ride a mountain bike for mental & physical health benefits. Mountain biking provides the opportunity for people to socialise and connect with nature. The activity of mountain biking needs natural areas and places to ride. Some mountain bike trails are shared use, used by walkers, trail runners and horses. 

‘Many mountain bike trail networks have been damaged or impacted by bushfires raging across the country. Clubs play an integral role in the construction, maintenance, management and provision of these trails, in partnership with land managers and other stakeholders. 

Image: Jaime Black

‘This fundraising campaign will raise funds to assist affected clubs and their members to assess trail damage and work to reinstate & repair the trails and supporting infrastructure. A survey of clubs in the bushfire regions will provide details of what clubs need to help with this repair work when the community and land managers are ready. This may include trail maintenance equipment & tools (rakes, shovels, mattocks, clinometers etc) or hiring machinery to assist with clearing debris or repairing trails.’ 

You can donate here. The aim is to raise $50,000 so every little bit helps!