New skatepark opens in Sherdley Park

Article date: 7 August 2024

Situated next to the children's play area and outdoor gym, a variety of ramps, pipes, jump boxes and grind rails makes up the new skatepark - designed from the ground up for skateboarding and scootering with the help of local young people.

The skatepark has been funded by the council's parks improvement fund together with Section 106 monies secured through local developments to benefit the area.

It goes a long way in adding to the park's skating facilities, complementing the existing half-pipe, and will encourage young people to be more active and get a healthier start in life, alongside other assets like the borough's many outdoor gyms.

Councillor Seve Gomez-Aspron, St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said:

"We are pleased to be enhancing the provision of skateboarding and scootering in this part of the borough, allowing for a larger range of adrenaline-inducing activities in Sherdley Park.

"It's been great to make this investment and demonstrate how funding secured through development planning processes can benefit the local area. Many young people find their place in alternative sports like these, making friends and getting active. I'm certain it'll make a big, positive difference to the creative and energetic people who engage in these sports."

Skateboarding made its Olympic Games debut in Tokyo 2020, putting the spotlight firmly on the action-packed, gravity-defying, extreme sport. Athletes as young as 13 years of age were seen flying through thin air with their boards, performing mind-boggling tricks and displaying impeccable balance while sliding down rails.

It returns to the ongoing Paris games this year following its massive appeal in Tokyo.