This isn't a moan about the costs of running The Boarding School (I save that for social gatherings), no this is a post moaning about all the amazing skateparks we have in South Glos and Bristol that don't have lights!
Volunteers, community members, and hyped young rippers often pour years of hard work into convincing their local council to build them a skatepark, only for it to become unusable in the winter. We are so fortunate to have so many great skateparks within Bristol's boundary and they each take huge amounts of funding to build. Surely they want them to be used???
As soon as the clocks go back at the end of October to when they go forward again in April, they are all empty of skaters after 5pm when it's just too dark and dangerous to see what you're doing.
The problem is two fold: Legit skatepark users have to either give up or find somewhere else, usually a shopping centre or carpark, where they risk getting kicked out and labelled as anti-social; And the dark skateparks attract non-legit users looking for somewhere no one cares about to get up to no good.
Our new project aims to address these issues, and has been generously funded by Sport England. LET'S GET LIT, will take mobile, LED, battery powered lights out to a skatepark each week to enable young people (and everyone else!) to use the park again for a couple of hours. Up to Christmas we'll be alternating between Emersons Green and Warmley and we're open to suggestions in the new year. We'll be out 5-7pm every Friday night until the clocks go forward again (weather permitting).
Check out these before and after photos of our lights in action:
Hopefully, we'll also be able to use this project to convince councils that by installing some lights they'll increase user numbers of these fantastic facilities, make them safer for everyone, and probably lower reports of anti-social behaviour and vandalism in the process. There are some fantastic examples of where this is working at the parks that already have lights: Hereford where skaters pay £3 for light cards; Keynsham where the lights are solar powered, motion activated, and prevent walkers falling in! Bradley Stoke and Thornbury where great youth services have popped up using shipping containers to provide additional services to young people. All amazing examples of where there's lights, you light the way!
These sessions will be free to attend, have equipment provided, hot refreshments and open to all (any age etc). There's no need to book, but we have added the sessions to our booking calender so you can easily see where we are one whichever week!
Funny this popped up on my socials 🤣
Extra Edit:
Skateparks that already have lights nearby:
In Bristol - None! Can you actually believe it?!
Little further out:
Bradley Stoke, Nailsea, Keynsham, Peghill
Even further out:
Melksham, Corsham, Glastonbury, Churchdown Glos, Bishops Cleeve, Cirencester, Tredegar Newport, Cirencester, Monmouth, Crwmbran, Hereford (although you need to plan ahead).
(Let us know if you know any others)
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