Users of Swanley Skate Park were riding high today when they learned that their application to Kent County Council’s Youth Capital Fund was successful.

The skaters applied for £45,000 from the Fund designed to support projects for young people in October, and were invited to give a presentation about the proposals to the judging panel of young people at the beginning of December.  The Skate Park project was one of eight other applications which had been shortlisted out of a total of thirty eight bids from other young people in Kent.

Michael Pullar, a keen user of the skate park who approached the Town Council about bringing it up to date said, “A group of keen skaters and bmxers including me have been working hard in close partnership with Swanley Town Council over the last eighteen months to find ways of funding the renovation project for the skate park which totals £70,000.  We are really pleased to hear that we have the grant as the skate park is almost derelict now.  We know that the Town Council will be contributing £14,000 to the project, the skate park designer another £10,000 and we have been fundraising ourselves and raised over £1,000 by car washing, holding a barbeque and tuckshop and a sponsored non-uniform day at school.  We are all looking forward to using the new skate park in the spring.”

The Mayor of Swanley, Cllr David Coates, said, “I am delighted to hear that these young people have won a grant for the skate park; their commitment and dedication in fundraising and in consultation with the Town Council in preparing an excellent presentation has paid off. We are very proud of what they have achieved in bringing much needed funding to Swanley where our skate park facility has been very well used, but  is at the end of its useful life.  I am sure that the new facility will benefit many more young people from Swanley and other areas when it is ready for use next spring."