We were invited to speak to businesses at Theoc House on Thursday 28 June to showcase Pump 17 and all the work we’re doing.
We spoke about: Why we need a new skate park in Tewkesbury.
We started our presentation speaking about each of the three skate parks in Tewkesbury and explained each are very difficult to use in different ways. Priors Park floods and is really old, worn down, slippery and unsafe. We try to keep it clean but it is always littered with rubbish and broken glass. Older children use the ramps for a base to consume illegal drugs and alcohol, and they are often abusive to us if we want to use the ramps. Mitton coping is too big and the decks aren’t big enough. Northway is impossible to ride as the half pipe is too steep for the size, and the ramps are too tall with not enough room.
Our dream is to have a new, purpose built, concrete skate park to bring new people and families into our town. Health & wellbeing are very important and it would provide a safe, fun, self-policing, sociable area, which caters for all ages, experience and disabilities.
Research: We have researched several skate parks for ideas, inspiration and to ride their parks to help us understand what is available. After that, we then arranged to meet with four skate park design companies who were each offering something different.
We looked at concrete designs, should we be granted a new site
Pump 17 at Tewkesbury Business Breakfast Club Thursday 28 June 2018
and options to re-vamp Priors Park. Those options included ramps that the sides could be removed to allow for the flood water there to flow through.
Presentation: We presented our findings to Cllr Cromwell and Cllr Greening at one of our committee meetings on 8 March. They were so impressed with our research and presentation, they are fully supporting us and we have been invited to present at Tewekesbury Borough Council.
We are working closely with Tewkesbury Borough, Town and County Councillors, Barnwood Trust, Severn Vale Housing and the Police, and we are being supported by Heart of Priors Park and Tewkesbury School.
We are now working very closely with Tewkesbury Borough Council and are in talks with them about a couple of possible sites for a new concrete skate park.
Promotional Video: We have been asked by the Councillors to make a promotional video about who we all are and our vision. Our video will be used to help us present to the Tewkesbury Borough Councillors at the Council Offices.
For our video, we have applied for a Barnwood Trust Small Sparks grant to fund some Pump 17 tee-shirts and hoodies for us.
This would help us raise awareness around the town and at any events we attend. We also have to organise a group photograph for our website and believe if we’re all in Pump 17 tee-shirts and hoodies, it demonstrates our commitment.
We have designed our own logos for the clothing and approached Tewkesbury School Business Enterprise students to produce a prototype of each.
We feel our designs, perfectly demonstrates what we are trying to achieve for our community ……… a new skate park.
By Miles, Braiden, Jacob and Mason.
