A group of young Harrogate Skate Park Users came together this week to train in Skate Park Etiquette with Sk8 Safe.
Harrogate Borough Council’s on-going commitment to safety in the Valley Gardens was reinforced this week with a pioneering new programme to empower young leaders in the local community to become ‘Skate Park Ambassadors’. The Sk8 Safe Programme has been designed specifically for the Valley Gardens Skate Park to create approachable points of contact at the Park. Through their understanding of the challenges faced by the wheeled community, these ambassadors are equipped to actively engage young and old to pass on their knowledge of the true etiquette of using a facility of this type.
Sarah from the Sk8 Safe team, who designed this programme, recruited and inducted these young people commented:
they are a really experienced group of youngsters who are passionate about the Valley Gardens facility and want to make it a safer place to be.
Sarah goes on to say “the scheme is designed to raise awareness of the rules of the park by passing on the knowledge and experience the young people have gained over the years. The new Skate Park Ambassadors will be on the park giving advice to young people and parents about the do’s and don’ts of using a busy facility such as this.
Trish McLaughlin, the council’s Parks Development Manager, added that this work will benefit the Valley Gardens as a whole:
This isn’t just about the Skate Park facility it will also cover other etiquette issues such as respecting other park users particularly as they enter the Valley Gardens to use the facility and again as they leave. We also want users to remember that the Valley Gardens are surrounded by people’s homes.
If you would like to meet the new ‘Skate Park Ambassadors’ they will be on the park for the annual Skate Jam Sunday 4th August starting at 1pm.
The Sk8 Safe Team will be on the park every week for the rest of the summer holidays holding Skate Park Etiquette sessions with the new ‘Ambassadors’ and chatting to parents!
Photos credit goes to professional photographer Nate James.
I am a 45 year old man who has just started skateboarding so it is not just the younger ones that only skate we older ones need support also i street skate and in the future will use a skate park this is a sport which is not just for kids like any sport you can start later in life,pro skateboarders are mature adults and still skate so please don’t leave us out, there are many of us older skateboarders out there and having fun you only get one life so let’s have fun and enjoy i ride a 7.75 board let’s go skate!!!!