The Skate Board Park
Ongoing Project
The young people of Longstanton have been asking for a skate park for a good 15 years. Things started to take off in earnest over four years ago when the Longstanton Skate Park Committee was launched by Louise Gamon, its chairperson: the membership was made of young people prepared to start fundraising for their dream to come true.
December 2003, Longstanton Life village magazine:
A huge effort was made by all on Sunday 19th October as 9 boarders turned bikers and went on a endurance bike ride doing laps around the village. 141 miles were covered, with Benjamin Kleim doing as many as 24 of those miles.
All of us at the LSPC owe a huge thank you to Alex Riley, Des Bull, Paul and Geraldine Rodgers, J.P. and Annette Kleim, and Gordon and Sam Molyneux who marshalled for us, making sure we were safe and weren’t cutting corners! Of course we also need to say a huge thank you to everyone who sponsored the cyclists on their epic travels. We now have £500 in our fund, which is a result of some very hard work from the skateboarders, and the fantastic generosity of Longstanton residents.
At our last meeting we started drawing up basic plans for a park that we all agreed on; surprisingly there was little disagreement apart from two members who wanted a ten foot ramp with six foot of ‘vert’, which it was agreed could prove impractical, and deadly. The next step is to contact different companies that supply ramps, give them our list of demands, and work out how much money we need to raise in order to obtain our park.
LSPC thank you for your continued support as we endeavour to provide the youth of Longstanton with somewhere to go.
Kevin Pope
August 2004, Longstanton Life:
Longstanton Skate Park Committee:
‘An estimated £60.000 is needed to build a skate park. The skate park is a long term project because commercial and council funding is reliant upon land and planning being secured. In conversation with the District Councillor we have been informed that:
“The plans for Phase 2 (of the Home Farm development) include a commitment to a substantial area of open space between Phases 2 and 3.
This open space will include play areas for differing age groups.”
These plans have yet to be agreed and may not be completed until next year (2005).’
‘The committee would like to thank Mick and Graham for letting us place a donation box in the shop and all those customers who have been kind enough to put money into the box. So far donations have amounted to £228,83. Thank you.
LSPC also thank the Gardening Club for their kind donation of £57.00.’
December 2004, Longstanton Life:
Longstanton Skate Park Committee:
‘LSPC has regretfully dissolved: A skate board park for the village is an expensive and long-term project (2 years minimum) and as such the young members found it hard to maintain their motivation.’
The funds raised reached £886.24: the Committee asked the community on what to spend this money.
Renewed Support from the Community: February 2004, Longstanton Life:
The chairperson of the committee was encouraged by the village response:
“I am in no doubt that there is a strong support in the community for this project and this is proven by the suggestions I received, the majority of you suggested that the money should be kept aside to fund a skate park in the future. The LSPC will continue in name with me, Louise Gamon, as chairperson. I shall maintain contact with the Parish Council to try to ensure that land is allocated for this project as it becomes available.
In the meantime, contributions can still be made to the fund. The monies already collected serve as a springboard for grant applications, although the size of any grant is directly proportional to the size of the fund. In short, the more money we raise as a community, the more grant money we can apply for.’
The Parish Plan Report of 2005:
Data indicate that a skate board park/mini ramp on the (or 'a') village green is the most popular choice to improve Sport facilities in Longstanton; additional impassioned comments plead for a skate park.
The Trustees of the Recreation Ground Charity's own Survey in 2006:
A similar level of majority support for a skate park amongst Longstanton sport clubs’ members is revealed by the survey: it asked what their choices of future sports facilities would be for the promised extension to the Recreation Ground (land owner: Mr Peter Stroude, promoter of the Home Farm development).
August 2006, Longstanton Life:
Longstanton Skate Park Committee:
‘The Longstanton Skate park Committee have recognised the need for and benefits of a skate park and believe that our village should at the very least aid us by parcelling a portion of public land for this use, and at most support and maintain a skate park as it would a play ground, or other general use public area.
A skate park that is well planned in consultation with the users is an open play/sports facility designed for and ultimately used by the older children and young adults, as can be seen in Cambourne. There is a gaping hole in provisions for residents aged 8 and 18 years, let us try to address this. (Note that whilst Longstanton has many active clubs for young residents, formal sports such as these offered do not suit everyone.)’
March 2007 - Young people contact the Parish Council:
With the help of the Connections Bus Project Youth Workers, some Longstanton young residents decided to write to the Parish Council themselves:
Bradley Schwartz (12), Matt Bauld (11), George Leland (12) and Will Blake (11) wrote to the Council to ask if they can be helped setting up a skate park in the Village: 'We think this would benefit lots of young people and it would save us from having to cycle to Over Community Centre to use the Skate Park there. The Skate Park will entertain us and keep us healthy.’ The parish Council Chairman, Mick Yarrow, met the group representative and his parents to discuss the project.
All those who would like to show their support for the skate park project should contact Louise Gamon at
louise.gamon [at] virgin [dot] net