Official opening of new skate park in Hastings
Skate-boarders in Hastings will see their dreams come true with the opening of a new skate park tomorrow (Saturday).
The new facility in Falaise Road took two months to build and cost 215,000 in total, the bulk of the money coming from the borough council.
Skate-boarders campaigned for better facilities for them and a campaign on YouTube attracted more than 6,000 people.
Matt Davey, a youth worker and a skate-boarder of 23 years, said: "This new development will put Hastings well and truly on the map for skate-boarding in the UK. It will play an active part in the town's regeneration and draw in people from all over the UK because of the nature of what's been built.
"The users of the park will find that this is an innovative design with such things like a beginner's section.
"The reason concrete has been picked is because over the next 10 years of austerity there will not be the money to resurface wooden skate parks."
Mr Davey, who helped lobby for a new skate park in Hastings, said famous skate-boarder Joe Sandland was the 'absolute driving force' behind the project.
East Sussex County Council's Youth Bank gave 25,000 towards the project and 15,000 came from the Boyley Trust.
Skate park users had a significant input into the design and layout.
Tomorrow's re-opening coincides with this year's Boyley Jam event, held to honour the memory of young BMX rider Richard 'Boyley' Ball, who died in a traffic accident in 2002. Participants will be competing and performing from 11am with the official opening and winners' presentations taking place at 5.30pm.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Hastings
Sunday 05 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 1 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: West
