Mobile Skate Park
A playground for the wheeled sports enthusiasts
Compromising of 8 obstacles and ramps, the fully mobile skate park can be stacked easily into its box trailer for convenient storage. Funded through the Essex Local Delivery Pilot (ELDP), the Colchester community can now access free wheeled sports equipment in their local area.
Ensuring wheel-based sports are free and accessible to young people, this mobile skate park can contribute to combating anti-social behaviour by promoting positive, healthy, fun hobbies.
Designed with beginners in mind, the skate park can be enjoyed by all riders of all abilities. Setting the equipment up takes just half an hour with two people, in turn making this pop-up skate park perfect for public sessions, as well as workshops and lessons. The ELDP supported this project as a great gateway to introduce young people to wheel-based sports, whilst also becoming more physically active It provides a great showcase for councils and youth services to provide innovative opportunities for families and young people.
To kick start the use of the mobile skate park, a number of Skate Jam events were held in the most deprived communities in Colchester, and in wards with high levels of anti-social behaviour. Using Holiday and Food (HAF) programme funding, as part of the school holiday extended offer for local families, this helped to leverage further funding in to support the delivery of the events.
This opportunity is a great way to showcase the work being undertaken through the Strengthening Communities strategic priority, with locally trusted organisations helping to deliver wheel-based sports, such as safe scooting and skateboarding, as well as multiple stakeholders driving to ensure this new opportunity could help bring the local community together. Two additional events helped showcase the use of the equipment through the Essex Pedal Power Greenstead launch and the New Town community day.
Key Learnings
It's important to take time to reflect and understand the learnings from work undertaken, in order to focus on ways to improve in the future.
Promotion
Consider the capacity of neighbourhood teams to further promote
Delivery
Need to gain support for delivery of skate park to maximise usage
Coaching
Has attracted children more than adults, so coaching costs are needed
