Chance to win a Pateley Bridge flat and save the caves
Stump Cross Caverns are raffling off a flat to keep them afloat
The owners of a cave attraction in the Yorkshire Dales are hoping to raise vital funds to keep them open by raffling off a flat in Pateley Bridge.
The campaign is to enable them to raise enough funds to renew and restore specialist lighting in the caverns and keep them afloat as we emerge from the pandemic.
Stump Cross Caverns were ineligible for any funding from the government so have launched a number of crowd funders to help them stay open and make renovations.
The team have turned to a specialist cave lighting firm in Germany for help along with their own electricians to improve lighting in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way.
On offer is a charming one bedroomed, ground floor apartment with an en-suite bathroom and a good sized living/dining room.
The winner of the raffle can choose to live in, rent out or sell.
The flat is located on Pateley Bridge high street in the heart of the Nidderdale countryside and just ten minutes from Stump Cross Caverns.
Owner, Lisa Bowerman, told Greatest Hits Radio it would be "a travesty" if they had to close the caves.
She said: "It's been really hard financially. We'd just spent half a million pounds doing up the caves and the site before Covid hit so we had no resources left over to get us through the closure.
"We've been here for 18 years and I thought it would be such a travesty to close the place and to not be able to share it. We want the children and families to come here and learn about Stump Cross.
"It means absolutely everything to us. My heart is with the children and for them to be inquisitive and to learn. It should be shared with others."
But the team aren't stopping there as they've ordered a cavewoman and house outfit with Stump Cross Caverns branding to wear as they venture into Harrogate and raise awareness of the caves.
Lisa, added: "Dressing up as the cavewoman will just raise the vibrations and make people aware of what we do.
"I'll be wearing it on our tours as well and telling cavewoman stories to the children so they can learn about everything we have to offer and the history of the caves.
"I might look a little bit silly but if it helps save the caves it'll be worth it."
As soon as 20,000 tickets are sold the team will be doing a live prize draw to announce the winner.
But it's an 'all or nothing' campaign so if they don't reach their target then all entries will be paid back to supporters.