Warwickshire News Mine

Rugby Borough Council is coordinating the campaign for their scheme, while the Kenilworth Connect2 project, part of a nationwide bid by Sustrans Connect2 to the Big Lottery Fund, would create a peaceful off-road route linking Kenilworth town centre with The Greenway and The University of Warwick.

Programmes highlighting the four competing bids are being shown on ITV1 at 11.05pm every night this week. The Connect2 programme starring Lorraine Kelly was shown last night, and there will be a recap of the four competing bids during the final programme on Friday night.

Voting on-line, at http://www.thepeoples50 million.org.uk is already well under way. Telephone voting starts this Friday at 9.00 a.m., with all voting closing at noon on Monday 10th December. By registering now with Sustrans, people can be notified as soon as the voting phone number is known on Friday morning – just text Connect2 to 80010 or phone at lo-call rate to 0845 058 1373.

Everyone has three opportunities to vote for Connect2 – online, by landline and by mobile phone – and there is no minimum age in order to take part.

Local campaigners for Connect2 have been out on the streets of Kenilworth and on the university campus, getting the message out and receiving an enthusiastic response. The star of the show was the Connect2 pantomime horse, which not only made a guest appearance at the Kenilworth Lights Switch-On event, but also managed to ride its tandem through the town and around the campus – without falling off once!

The ‘rear end’ of the pantomime horse, local walking and cycling enthusiast Howard Easton, said: “I’m glad our horse made such an impact. Believe me, it was pretty hard work inside that costume, and my ‘front end’ colleague (Sustrans Ranger Mike Thomas) had the glamorous job!

“When I’m not bent double inside a furry costume my passion is walking, and as an active member of the Kenilworth Footpath Preservation Group I know what a fantastic opportunity this project would bring for local walkers. Sustrans is about walking just as much as cycling, and everyone can benefit – young and old alike.”

The Chair of the local Connect2 Steering Group, Warwickshire County Councillor John Whitehouse (Kenilworth Abbey) said: “By now we hope there are few if any people left in Kenilworth, or at the University, who have not heard of Connect2 and the benefits that winning the Big Lottery vote would bring for our local area. We’ve had tremendous support from everyone we’ve talked to, and a lot of people are telling us that they’ve already voted on line.

“What we have to do now is turn all this goodwill and good intentions into actual votes for Connect2. As soon as we know the voting phone number on Friday we shall be circulating it by e-mail and via our web site http://www.connect2kenilworth.org.uk”

To contact the local Connect2 Steering Group, e-mail John Whitehouse on cllrwhitehouse@warwickshire.gov.uk or phone him on 01926 512130.

Link to WCC