Popular local campaigner and pro rollerblader Mike Marsh says he is fed up of trying to get the local council to fix the skatepark in Southport.
He is so annoyed at a perceived lack of response from the local authority that he has now launched a petition to the House of Commons.
Mike said “This is so important for several reasons.
1. Most of all health and safety, the skatepark is becoming extremely dangerous because of the amount of holes that are in the ramps. pretty much every ramp in the skatepark has some kind of hole in it.
2. The amount of children it keeps of the street is amazing. It helps them keep on the straight and narrow and concentrating on something they can progress in and potentially take into a career.
3. It gets you fit, helps maintain a healthy lifestyle and makes a significant difference to your mental health.
4. You become part of an amazing community and meet amazing individuals.
5. Gets the new generation of the video games and out the house.
6. It prevents us from being able to entertain the many viewers we get from the public, watching us on the pier.
7. It’s a place to go that people can feel safe and welcome but due to the holes people are no longer wanting to come as they don’t feel safe.
8. Everyone loves Southport skatepark the design is perfect, the obstacles are perfect and we are extremely lucky to have a skatepark like that in our town.
The local council got quoted £18,500 to resurface the skatepark, which I personally think is a bit too high but even if that is the case, this amount isn’t that much considering the amount of children and adults it helps in this community.
“It keeps them of the streets and It helps them concentrate on something they can progress in and potentially take into a career. I believe it is worth every penny of that money. Their plan is to do 2 ramps a year for 4 years but that means they will be constantly fixing ramps and to be honest the whole skatepark needs doing not just 2 ramps a year. The skatepark needs re-surfacing every 5 years or so and I think it’s such a small amount to pay for such a big positive impact it makes on Southport town centre.
The skatepark is a wonderful place I’ve been going there for 10+ years now and if it wasn’t for Southport skatepark I wouldn’t have traveled the world doing what I love. It personally changed my life, before the skatepark I was in trouble with the police a lot, I was doing stupid stuff and then I started to skate and haven’t looked back since. A skatepark isn’t just a skatepark, it’s a home to some people, it’s the only place for some people can go and feel safe and to be part of a family and all we want is our home to be safe to use not just for us but for the new generation that’s interested.”
To sign the petition please visit https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/southport-skatepark-1
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