Just days until Herne Hill Velodrome pavilion opens

The new Herne Hill Velodrome pavilion will open this month, after it was kitted out thanks to a crowd funding campaign.

It comes two years after the site secured planning permission for the pavilion that will complete its redevelopment, and organisers are calling for volunteers to come and help with the finishing touches today.

Besides being the capital’s only remaining venue from the 1948 Olympic Games, Herne Hill Velodrome, which dates from 1891, is also where Wiggins – among others – first experienced track racing, taking to the boards there at the age of 12.

The new £1.8m pavilion has been made possible thanks to grants from Sport England, the London Marathon Trust and Southwark Council, plus £100,000 from the Mayor of London’s Sports Facilities Fund.

Work on the pavilion constitutes the third and final phase of regeneration. In 2011, £400,000 from British Cycling paid for resurfacing of the main track with an all-weather tarmac surface as well as the installation of new trackside fencing. Then, in 2013, funding from the Southwark Olympic Legacy Programme saw construction of a new junior track and multi-use game area inside the track as well as installation of track lighting to allow more use during winter months.

Members of the public raised money to kit out the new pavilion as the crowning glory of the site.

The building itself was completed in early 2017 but needed fitting out, with a changing room and toilets, offices and a kitchen, and most importantly, a club room and grandstand.

Director of property at Sport England Charles Johnston told Bike Biz: “We are delighted to provide £750,000 of National Lottery funding to help deliver this fantastic pavilion. Already famous for its 450-metre cycle track, the new pavilion will help position the velodrome as a first-class venue ideal for everyone in the local community and beyond, and cater for both keen cyclists as well as those who are new to the sport. We look forward to the next exciting chapter in the story of this 1948 Olympic cycling venue and congratulate all involved.”

Sarah Ridley, who is chief grants officer of The London Marathon Charitable Trust added: “Our grants programmes are aimed at supporting projects that help get people off the couch and participating in a wide range of sports and physical activities.

“We’re delighted to have contributed to one of the country’s most iconic cycling venues. By investing in the new grandstand, we are securing a great centre for people of all ages and abilities to experience the thrill of cycling. It’s very fitting that The Trust has helped this project as part of its income comes from profits generated by Prudential RideLondon – the world’s greatest festival of cycling.”