SNOWBOARDERS and skiers in East Lancashire are set to share in a £1million windfall ahead of the Vancouver Winter Olympics launch tomorrow.

Help will be given by instructors at Ski Rossendale to enable budding snow sport enthusiasts to follow in the footsteps of bobsleigh stars Kristan Bromley, from Waterfoot, Blackburn’s Paula Walker and downhill ace Dave Ryding.

Top snowboarders like Steve Bailey, Stu and Si Brass and Danny Wheeler all cut their teeth at the Valley venue.

And emerging talent like Collum Mytton and Joe Tomlinson, the reigning British Junior Big Air champion, also call Ski Rossendale home.

Sport England and Snowsport England have teamed up to create a £985,000 programme to encourage fresh entrants into the winter disciplines, involving the Rossendale centre and nine other locations nationwide.

The announcement is a significant boost for the Rossendale attraction, where bosses have been told that they must generate extra visitors to guarantee its long-term future.

Diane Scott, Ski Rossendale operations manager, said: “We have some truly promising talent but we also do provide very basic and welcoming opportunities for new skiers and boarders.

We’re delighted to have been named as a priority area for growing participation in snow sports and look forward to building on our successes.”

The snow sports programme will look to involve schoolchildren across East Lancashire in boarding and skiing and organisers are also keen to tap into the student market.