Feature A Skate To Victory
Matt Gardner looks into how the recession is treating the skate boarders of Leeds
Feature: A Skate To Victory
With a place as big as Leeds, it’s no wonder that a lot of the city’s major hubs of activity go unnoticed. Sadly, one of these hidden gems - the holder of a national record, no less - may no longer be around in 12 months time.
The Works Skate Park, which is housed in a former railway engine factory outside the city centre, is England’s largest indoor facility of its kind, treating kids and adults alike to over 25,000 sq ft of ramps, rails, and bowls whether their discipline is skateboarding, rollerblading, BMXing or even scooters.
The park takes its name from the former railway engineering workshop that was once inside its 120 year old walls. It has a charm which many of Leeds’ many landmarks seem to lack: atmosphere. It’s totally unique, with a complex upstairs café area complementing the vast array of snaking structures designed for riders.
Of course, with a facility of this magnitude, people from around the area travel far to get in on the action, sometimes driving up to 80 or 90 miles to practice in the sanctuary it provides. As a result, a strong community element has been created between regular attendees and rookies alike.
Despite this, the park doesn’t have the support it needs. Though it has proactive bonds with the NHS and schools in the area to teach kids how to ride safely, local authorities, charities and lottery funds still overlook what’s crucial to the park’s longevity: financial support.
Elliott Turnbull, the manager of The Works, shows nothing but commitment to the cause of community spirit within Leeds. He spared time to talk about the strong points of the park and, crucially, what could happen if vital funding doesn’t reach them.
“It’s grungy but it has genuine charm. If you build a new facility, it’d take that away,” Elliott explained. “People fall in love with the facility but it’s just too expensive for them. People love what we’re doing, they love what we’re doing for the kids as well, it just needs subsidising from somewhere to drive prices down and make it more accessible to skaters.”
Yet parents can’t afford it as much as they used to. Sad to admit the current craze in the world of business, Elliott said: “The recession’s hit us hard, there’s no denying it.”
He’s also annoyed by the state of play for children today. “The kids have got nowhere to go,” he stressed. “When I was a kid, you had scout huts and school fields. Nowadays, the scout huts have closed down and the fields have fences around them, and everywhere else is seen as unsafe.”
However, the show must go on. In September 2009, The Works hosted a Nando’s-led three-part nationwide skating event known as the Xperi-mental Skate Jam, the brainchild of the chain’s north London managing director Marcel Khan, who shared the goal of The Works by creating a community gathering. Hailed as a huge success, it attracted around 200 people, mostly young skateboarders under 18, as well as the enthusiastic pro skateboarder Rodney Clarke to judge the events.
One of the youngest looking 37 year olds in the world and a top-notch skater, Rodney said that friends are too easy to make in such areas, which also throw exercise and fun into the mix. He says “that’s why skate parks like The Works are so important. Culture, colour, background, creed, race, that’s all gone. There’s no racism or bullying in this sport.”
Both Rodney and Elliott are worried that a major group of people in Yorkshire - one which has grown irksome to local authorities through perceived anti-social behaviour - will no longer have a home and return to the streets, with nowhere safe to go.
Yet while Elliott and his respected co-workers are concerned about the future and the current economic climate’s effect on custom, they soldier on. They want to prove their mettle, eventually creating the biggest park in Europe with classrooms and added training facilities.
“It’s an uphill slog. I like a challenge, though!” Elliott laughs.
The Works will be hosting a Halloween party on 31 October. The Works Skate Park, Airedale Industrial Estate, Kitson Road, LS10 1NT, 0113 244 6015. For more information, visit http://www.theworksskatepark.com
Posted on Thursday 22nd October 2009
The Works Skate Park
Airdale Industrial Estate, Kitson Road, Leeds, LS10 1NT
Comments on Feature: A Skate To Victory
Comment by Jason Dooling
Posted on Wed 11th Nov 09 4:11 pm
long live the works i am 37 year old skateboarder of 22 years and know the lean times.the kids must not let a facility like this disappear it would break their hearts but they would not realise until it was too late.support the works now.
Comment by Mr Baldman
Posted on Wed 11th Nov 09 5:53 pm
I regularly drive up from Nottingham to skate the place and love it.
However £10 for a one off session is quite expensive for some and I know it puts some people off, Especially parents.
A reduction in price could make the park more accessible
Comment by Elliott Turnbull
Posted on Tue 1st Dec 09 4:20 pm
Now then
The aim of my charity is to slash the cost of the skatepark to all visitors, i’m aiming to provide the center for £3 a day to every member. Though to get the funding may take a while and we ask that you keep donating & using the Skatepark to ensure it remains a top facility for all.
Hopefully again this summer will be free to all members…..........funding provided.
Cheers for your support, and if you ever need to discuss anything you know where we are
All the best
Elliott
Sending you to Twitter, hold on... 