Teenagers volunteer to help deliver £8,000 Ventnor Skatepark project in just one week

An incredible community effort has completely transformed an Isle of Wight skatepark in just over a week.

Volunteers have maintained Ventnor Skatepark for over 20 years and in 2019 a concrete base was installed on the site.

Unfortunately, Covid brought further projects to a halt, but a dedicated team of committee volunteers remained keen to move forward with a project to improve the site.

By 2022, the plans, reports and documentation had all been prepared, and the project was about to move forward when a sea wall collapsed in November, just meters away.

This has led to uncertainty over the future of the site.

But John Cattle and Zoe Thompson of Island skate company Wight Trash – both directors of the Ventnor Skatepark group – already had a successful DIY project in Ryde under their belt, and it was decided that, as an “in-house” project, meanwhile”, on a small scale it could be emulated in Ventnor to ensure the space remains usable in the short term.

(Image: Ventnor Skatepark Group.)

An elite team from Neverland Skateparks, who delivered the Ryde project, were able to spend a week between other projects on the mainland and agreed to return to the island to hand-build a selection of concrete obstacles .

They started on Saturday, June 1st, and thanks to the weather, they were able to complete the work in only about a week.

The Ventnor skatepark improvement project is now completed, and in record time, thanks to the team and the help of several volunteers.

“We were fortunate to be able to pick up Neverland Skate Parks for construction,” John Cattle said.

“And what a job they did!

“We had a maximum budget of £8,000, which was raised entirely through local donations.

(Image: Ventnor Skatepark Group)

“The community has really been supportive of this.

“We couldn't do these types of projects without the Island building trades who offer discounts and do everything they can to help us.

“Wight Building Materials, Jewsons, Sydenhams and The Forge have been very supportive.

“It’s great to see so many people already enjoying the park.”

Zoe Thompson, Ventnor Skatepark Trustee, added: “For Ryde and Ventnor, we have seen the community come together.

“For both projects, young people volunteered their time to help, working alongside experienced team members to learn new skills.

“Often when considering regenerating spaces there can be a lot of consultation, but for us it is essential that there is real community engagement.

“Having local people help to really shape these types of facilities means we can use them as catalysts for other projects in the future.”

Ventnor Skatepark Group remains the leaseholder of the site and will now work on the long-term future of the skatepark.

There will be further opportunities later in the year for the local community to get involved.

Starting next month, John Cattle's Skate Club will host free skateboarding lessons at the park for those who are new to skating or want to develop their confidence in using the new obstacles.

Daisy Chapman tries out the new ramps. Photo by Angie Davies of the IW County Press Camera Club (Image: Angie Davies)