Swanage Skatepark in Dorset is to run a skate jam and a day of skate workshops for the local community, as it prepares to place an order for the first new ramps.
A public skate day in October 2024 fell victim to the great British weather, but it has now been rescheduled for Saturday 12th April 2025 at King George’s playing fields, as fundraisers march on towards their £200,000 goal.
The community skate day in June 2024 featured some amazing stunt sessions
Smashed through stage one target
Swanage Skatepark Community Project (SSCP) was set up two years ago with a vision to get Swanage rolling again, after a number of ramps at the site in King George’s playing fields had to be removed in 2023 when they became unsafe to use.
Grants and donations to the project now stand at more than £80,000, smashing through the stage one target which enables members of SSCP to start the first phase of building, which will include new ramps.
An order is expected to be placed shortly for skatepark equipment which can be used by skaters of all ages and abilities, to increase interest and excitement about the project.
Those first ramps should be installed by autumn 2025 and further fundraising targets will be set for future stages of the skatepark.
Heidi Florence, second from left, foresees a great future for Swanage Skatepark
Skatepark future is on the horizon
Secretary of the SSCP, Heidi Florence, said:
“Our mission is to rebuild Swanage skatepark and welcome new riders. So far we have reached £81,200 for new skatepark equipment, but funding streams are limited, and many sources of funding commonly used by skatepark projects are unavailable to us.
“So, in order to get some new equipment in the skatepark we will build in stages as funding becomes available. This method will allow us to replace equipment in two or three phases depending on how much is raised.
“Stage one will be the start of replacing the ramps that were removed in 2023. We hope that Swanage Town Council, with our help, will put out a tender for the works in the next few months and we can complete a new ramp by autumn 2025.
“When Swanage Town Council voted in its January budget to support the Skatepark Project with a further £20,000, it secured our ability to begin building. The future of Swanage skatepark is on the horizon!”
After a year of fundraising, Swanage Skatepark Community Project is almost halfway to its final target
Skate jam in memory of Will Paddy
Thanks to funding from Swanage Town Council and Dorset Council, entry to the skatepark community day on Saturday 12th April 2025 will be free and will include workshops with skateboard, scooter and BMX experts to help people start riding or improve their skills.
The afternoon will include three 45 minute skate jam sessions for scooters, BMX bikes and skateboards in memory of Will Paddy, who was a regular at the park and loved riding his scooter with friends.
Will’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 14, but his legacy lives on through #Willdoes, a charity founded by his mother Lesley, which helps young people reconnect through sports and activities.
Money raised at the event, where branded clothing, refreshments and other merchandise will be on sale, along with a raffle, will be split between SSCP and #Willdoes.
Workshops and pro demonstrations
- 12 noon to 12.15 pm – Pro demo
- 12.30 pm to 2 pm – Beginner skateboard workshop (boards & safety gear available to borrow from King Ramps and intermediate scooter, skateboard and BMX tips and tricks with the pros
- 2 pm to 2.15 pm – pro demo
Skate jam in memory of Will Paddy
- 2.15 pm to 3 pm – Scooter
- 3.15 pm to 4 pm – BMX
- 4.15 pm to 5 pm – Skateboard
Organisers are hoping for another successful community day on Saturday 12th April 2025
“Supporting mental and physical health”
Heidi Florence said:
“This is our way of expressing gratitude for the grant #Willdoes made to the skatepark, which covered our essential costs like insurance and enabled us to host our first event in 2024.
“By giving back, we hope to support another small charity dedicated to improving the lives of young people, just as ours does.
“Swanage skatepark has proven valuable to many generations of young people over the years, supporting mental and physical health as well as social and personal development.
“We intend to continue the decades of fundraising and community engagement carried out by Lorna Haines before SSCP was founded in 2023.
“We will continue to build an inclusive and welcoming culture around the skatepark by hosting events that will inspire and attract more users.”
Swanage skateboarders are looking forward to showing off their skills again
Facing a unique challenge
The SSCP committee has faced a unique challenge in funding the Swanage Skatepark project, as they discovered that three of the largest sources of skatepark funding were unavailable to them – which meant that a potential £120,000 of cash had been lost.
National Lottery funding is restricted to one application per charity at a time, and as Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust – which SSCP is a member of – is already pursuing a grant for another project for up to three years of funding, the skatepark could not submit another application.
And the Landfill Communities Fund allows landfill operators to donate a portion of their tax liability to community, environmental, and heritage projects – but Swanage is too far from landfill sites to be eligible for this funding.
Swanage Skatepark owes its existence to Lorna Haines, who raised around £150,000 since 2003 to help create it
Funds sourced so far
Instead, the £81,200 so far committed to the skatepark has come from individual donors alongside organisations including:
- Swanage Town Council 2023 / 24 budget £15,000
- Swanage Town Council 2024 / 25 budget £20,000
- Community Crowdfunder £15,200
- Sport England Match Funding £6,000
- The Valentine Charitable Trust £10,000
- The Talbot Village Trust £15,000
Further information
- All the latest news from SSCP is on its website
