People urged to back bid

Organisers behind the bid to land £50million of lottery money to open up caves in the Black Country are banking on people power to give them a head start in the race for cash.

The team behind A Million People: Black Country as an Urban Park is urging residents to throw their weight behind the bid by logging onto a website and saying why the region deserves the cash.

The website allows visitors to make a pledge to support the bid, as well as showing video clips, artists' impressions and behind-the-scenes footage of the area's ambitious project.

Included on the site is a video by 80s pop star Toyah Wilcox, who is the face of the Black Country's bid, and a four-minute film showing how the money will be used to revitalise the region.

The project aims to open up a network of caves and canals beneath Dudley as a major tourist attraction, revamp the town's Wren's Nest Nature Reserve, create a "green corridor" between West Bromwich and Walsall, and breathe new life into Wolverhampton's canals.

It will battle it out for the cash against three rival bids from around the country live on ITV in December.

Dozens have already pledged their support and the project's organisers hope hundreds more will show their support by leaving messages wishing the team good luck ahead of the showdown. Dudley borough geologist Graham Worton, who appears on one of videos on the website, urged people to log on and make a pledge to support the Black Country's bid.

"It's a very important website because it gives people the chance to view the different projects and have their say about them," he said.

"We're conscious of the fact that people living in the area might not know what the project's all about and the website gives them the chance to find out about all the different elements that make up the bid. It's a fabulous opportunity for the area and it would be fantastic if we won the money, but we need people's support and for them to ring up in December and vote for us."

To pledge your support click here.