| May 2006 - An update about the
skateboard play facility on KGV Playing Field
“Proof
that youngsters also have a voice” Wivenhoe Town Council lead the way by listening to the youth of their town. Three years ago youngsters presented the Town Council with a petition for a skatepark in their town. The Town Council listened, appointed several members to liaise with the youngsters, set up a Working Party, engaged professional consultations, took advice from Colchester Borough Council’s Planning department, the National Playing Fields Association, talked to the Police, staged a demonstration of the facility, undertook a public consultation exercise, considered carefully all residents’ views and objections and secured partial funding from Cory Entrust and ECC Community Initiatives Fund. It has been a massive exercise for a small team of dedicated Councillors and limited staff but the end result was worth it when the news was revealed to youngsters at the Town’s Annual Meeting that work on the small sized skatepark on the town’s playing fields would begin this summer. The whole town has pulled together to help raise funds, the Park Hotel donated proceeds from darts matches and a collection tin, Cedric Coaches donated a coach trip to France, the Shipyard Project donated all of their funds, the Wivenhoe May Fair donated £300, the Mayor’s Charity also helped, the Wivenhoe Carnival Association donated over £1,000, several residents made individual donations, including a huge bottle full of coins from Cllr. Steve Ford, and really coming up trumps was Taylor Woodrow, contractors for the Cooks Shipyard Development, who, wanting to get involved with the community, generously agreed to lay the base for the facility. All in all a community town really working. Wivenhoe Town Council - Youth Facilities Working Party
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