YOUNG people are being called on to support efforts for Ilkley's skate park after a major fundraising drive failed to attract enough help from youngsters.

Charity Pipedream says it needs the help of all sections of the community if it is to achieve its dream of building the skate park in time for the summer

holidays.

The charity recently launched a raffle offering large prizes in the hope of earning thousands of pounds towards the £55,000-£60,0000 target for the project.

But a batch of tickets on sale at Ilkley Grammar School has had to be sent back to Pipedream - as there was only one taker. Organisers fear time could be running out if young skateboarders and in-line skaters want to have the skate park built on schedule.

Member of Pipedream's finance committee, William Whittaker, said he was 'disappointed' with raffle ticket sales so far, and would like to see young people join other members of the community in supporting the drive for the long sought-after facilities for children and young people.

"I'm disappointed in the response the raffle has had," said Mr Whittaker.

"Ilkley Grammar School was one of the outlets for tickets. The children were informed that the tickets were available, but we only sold one ticket. The obvious thing the kids can do is to actually go out with their parents and just buy these raffle tickets. It would put us on target for what we're trying to achieve."

With just over three weeks left until the raffle is drawn on April 19, Mr Whittaker hopes to be able to sell as many of the tickets as possible.

The school is no longer a ticket outlet and Pipedream is now trying to promote the tickets elsewhere. Around 300 of the 1,000 tickets are yet to be sold, costing £5 each.

The donated prizes range from a clay pigeon shoot and lunch for two, to a Ferrari 360 Spyder and Porsche Carerra 'adventure', to a skateboard.

Pipedream is also working on other methods of fundraising, including a concert by band Dissent at the Crescent Hotel, on Friday, April 4. Tickets for the event cost £7.50 and are available from various businesses around Ilkley.

Ilkley Parish Council says it is to consider providing Pipedream with some funding, but has not quoted a figure, and is expected to discuss the matter at a full council meeting in the future.

Parish Council chairman, Mike Gibbons, said: "Following a meeting of the awards committee, it is my intention to discuss further with the full council the funding of the skateboard park."

Pipedream was earlier this year promised £15,000 by Bradford Council, and it hopes its Easter Raffle - to be drawn on April 19 - will raise tens of thousands of pounds more towards the skate park.

Meanwhile, some of Ilkley's 100-plus millionaires have risen to a challenge laid down by the charity. The town's wealthiest residents were asked by Ilkley floor tiler Mark Whittington to each donate £267.85 to Pipedream.

Mr Whittaker says ten people, not all of them millionaires, have sent in donations for this amount.

"We hope that the overall budget of the project will be at the lower end of our estimates," he said.

If all the raffle tickets sell, he said, Pipedream is expected to have around £30,000 by Easter.

The raffle tickets are available from many town centre businesses.

l Anyone who would like to make a donation to the campaign can send cheques made payable to Pipedream, c/o the Ilkley Gazette, 8 Wells Road, Ilkley, LS29 9JD.