Skate/BMX parks - and how young people can develop a sense of ownership

The Goole and Howdenshire Local Action Team (LAT) is working with other groups, organisations and partners to look at anti-social behaviour issues. The perceived lack of youth facilities and activities to enable young people to have things to do and places to go appears to be a contributory factor, particularly in both Goole and Old Goole.Along with fellow East Riding of Yorkshire Councillor (ERYC) Beryl Beck Taylor, Goole’s detached youth workers, and a number of young people I was invited on a fact- finding mission to look at youth facilities including skate parks, BMX tracks and play areas in Hull and the East Riding.

Unfortunately the weather was a little cold so there were not many young people using the facilities, but I was very much impressed by the Ings Road site provided by Hull City Council and free to use. The £330k concrete skate/bike park was funded through grants and administered by the council, and is of a concrete construction with a shelter and seating. The site is unfenced but is protected by CCTV and timed lighting. The most striking thing (apart from the non-offensive graffiti) was the lack of vandalism.

(Ings Road skate/BMX park)

I was amazed by the young people we spoke to, who said they police the site themselves, bring their own brushes to clean it, and won’t allow offensive graffiti. They actually came across as having a strong sense of ownership, having been part of the decision making process from the very beginning - which was great to hear.

The visit also included a visit to the Haltemprice Sport Centre’s flood-lit metal skate park, which was developed as a result of community leaders supporting young people with their applications for funding and helping them to commission contractors to work on their ideas.

Interestingly this was on the back of a visit to the Bridlington Town Council’s skate/BMX park a few weeks ago. This project was put together by Bridlington Town Council, and differs significantly in the fact that the whole area is fenced and locked, there is a charge to use the facility and most importantly the young people we spoke to felt no ownership of the skate park whatsoever. Unfortunately the site has suffered from vandalism.

The visit to Hull was about giving young people the opportunity to consider and discuss their dreams and ideas for Goole. The BMX trail in West Park, Goole is due to be extended and developed, so it was a useful opportunity to find out what works elsewhere.

The young people played an active role in developing some of the sites that we visited, and we wanted to encourage and motivate our young people to play their part in shaping Goole for the future.

The visit formed part of a project the ERYC Youth Service in delivering in Goole using some £19,000 of the Government’s ‘Connecting Communities’ funding which is to be used to fund a number of community based activities in the town over the next few months. The aim is to encourage young people to engage in decision-making processes and inspire them to influence those decisions affecting their communities.

Unfortunately the weather was a little cold so there were not many young people using the facilities, but I was very much impressed by the Ings Road site provided by Hull City Council and free to use. The £330k concrete skate/bike park was funded through grants and administered by the council, and is of a concrete construction with a shelter and seating. The site is protected by CCTV and timed lighting.

I was amazed by the kids we spoke to, who said they police the site themselves, bring their own brushes to clean it, and won’t allow offensive graffiti. They actually came across as having a strong sense of ownership, having been part of the decision making process from the very beginning - which was great to hear.