use experts with experience to design good skateparks? makes total sense.

this new bowl in malaga is honestly the best i have ever seen with my own eyes. it makes total sense to use someone like ruben who has so much experience of what does and doesn't work to design a good skatepark. good luck...www.soulparks.com

why lichfield needs a skatepark...

Communities around the country are learning that a good skatepark is an essential social asset, because skateboarding and BMX riding appeals to a significant proportion of young people who don’t like organised and competitive events, which require them to join a team or a club. There is not much for this group to do in Lichfield, so they tend to hang around, get bored and can get into mischief. A good skatepark will often appeal to them and provide a healthy outlet for their energies.

Experience of skateboarding in America and elsewhere, shows that a good skatepark should be located in a place where the skateboarders can show off their skills in public, which means in the centre of the community where the public walk. Skateboarders often spend hours perfecting their skills, hurting themselves in falls, to get up and try again; that takes a certain stamina which draws skaters together in an informal but loyal group.

The skatepark must be a challenge for all skill levels, so that each skateboarder can look up to those who are more skilled, and be motivated to improve their technique. So often, skateparks have been built in this country that are badly designed and unable to give a rider a satisfying experience and a challenge to improve their skills. A well designed skatepark is almost indestructible and does not need protection. It is built of smooth concrete that reduces the noise and makes it safer to use; around 40% is below ground level.

If we can build a true state of the art skatepark, our skaters will be proud of it and will work together in an informal way, to ensure that it is properly used. It will attract young people to take up skating who otherwise might roam the streets and get into trouble. In recognition of the social value of a good skatepark, communities around the world are building them in the centre of their towns and cities where everyone can enjoy them, either by skating and BMX riding or by just watching and admiring. The opening of a good skatepark will see a reduction of anti-social behaviour in the area, of as much as 35% (Dunbarton Police study)

We plan to build a skatepark having a total skating area of about 1,500 m² (16,000 ft²) with surrounding grassed mounds and trees to attenuate any sound, and locate it in a central part of Lichfield where the public walk, which will be easy to access by most skaters. Most of the cost will be raised from private funds and the Big Lottery.

We need your full support for this project for our young people Please sign our petition

Lichfield Skatepark Association

please sign the new petition...

Change.org|Make Your Own Petition

new austin skatepark...

looks great as is pretty close to what we need in lichfield in my opinion.

overground

this is a little documentary about my good friend oly.i met him at college and he was originally from derby.he moved to amsterdam some years ago now for a bit,and built an awesome skatepark.its cool to see how the skatepark develops through the videos,and it's also good for reminding me of just how good oly is at skating.oly lives in texas these days and is still an amazing skater and still making skateparks.a true skateboarding legend in my book.

will sayer

lichfield's very own will sayer unleashes his brand of super-tech skateboard skills on oz(mostly!).
good stuff!

website troubles

happy new year everyone.we have been having some troubles with the website so i have just changed it to the blog page for now.i may just leave it like this as its easier to update and probably does everything we need anyway?!!!
just a reminder that the next council meeting is to be held on january the 18th.
if anyone wants to send photos or content to this site then just email.
here's a couple of vids i enjoyed over the last year...

update.

well,firstly i'd like to apologise for the lack of updates.secondly i'd like to say that unfortunately there isn't that much to inform anyone about.however i can tell you that some progress has been made and a draft design is currently in the process of being worked on before it can go forward to get planning permission.
unfortunately due to council rules i can't show you the plans as they are,but it is loosely similar to that in the 'site announced' post which can be found below.
as soon as the plans reach a further stage we will inform all of our members so a proper meeting can be organised where all local skaters and bmx'ers can have their say and input into the finished design.
the next council meeting is due to be held on the 18th january 2011 at 10.30am at the king edwards leisure centre in lichfield.anyone interested is welcome to attend as i'm sick of hearing that people are being left out of the loop.so no excuses.
as ever emails can be sent to;

lichield-skatepark-committee@hotmail.co.uk

(this is the same email address we have being using for nearly 5 years now and has been widely publicised.)

lsa event.

please come and support our event!!!the main purpose of this event is to show skateboarding and bmx'ing off to a wider audience who have probably never seen such a thing before.please come down though and meet representatives of the lsa where we can meet and chat about what you'd like to see get built in lichfield.also we will be signing up members to our association on the day...which is going to be vital for us in getting our funding!click on the image for more details.thanks!

site announced!

finally after many frustrating years for ourselves where we have had to keep quiet, the local council have announced that an area in beacon park is the best site for the proposed skatepark!(what we said all along!!!)
initial concept plans that were kindly done by jim kelly have been unveiled to give you all an idea of what the skatepark might look like.

here's what the local newspaper had to say;

LICHFIELD has taken a huge step forward to getting its own skate park, with initial plans being unveiled at an exhibition this Saturday.A feature long called for by citizens, Lichfield District Council this week revealed it had been working behind the scenes with skateboarders to make the park a reality.The proposed skate park would be built on the edge of Beacon Park near the A51 and a stone's throw from Bunkers Hill car park. Preliminary designs will be showcased in an exhibition unit on the site on Saturday, July 18, between 9.30-11.30am."We're keen for everyone who is interested in the skate park, or who has concerns about it, to come along and see the plans for themselves," said Neil Turner, Lichfield District Council's leisure services manager."They will find out how the proposals don't incorporate traditional metal ramps, but instead aim to create an attractive boulevard, street feel."There will also be pictures on display to show how the overall development will be low to the ground, and that sophisticated landscaping will be used to limit its impact on views across the park."The council has worked with local skateboarders on the plans, studying 20 sites to find the best location.Beacon Park was chosen because it will be easy for skaters to get to, yet is a good distance away from local homes."Skateboarding is now an internationally recognised sport, and a growing number of local people are incredibly passionate about it," said Councillor Val Richards, cabinet member for leisure services."We're keen to explore the idea of creating a skate park so they have somewhere to skate, rather than getting in people's way on the streets or in car parks."We also want skaters to be able to develop their skills in a safe area."Fears the park will encourage youths to hang around the site late at night have also been addressed.The skate park will not be lit and the plans are being developed in partnership with police."Police would very much welcome the provision of a skate park for Lichfield which would encourage enthusiasts to practise the sport in a safe environment," said the city's police commander, Inspector Trevor Steventon."It would also discourage skateboarders from using areas of the city centre, such as the Three Spires Shopping Centre, which can create problems for businesses and people living close by."Interest in the sport is growing and the provision of a specially designed skate park would play a positive and constructive role in enabling young people to make the most of their free time."

a pdf file of the 'boards' that jim made for the council can be viewed here; http://www2.lichfielddc.gov.uk/Skate-Park-Boards.pdf

friends plan memorial skatepark for michael patterson.

we here at the lichfield skatepark association were saddened to read about the tragic untimely passing of young Michael. we fully support their cause and hope to join together to help bring Michael's dream of a skatepark in lichfield into reality.the following is taken from a story that was printed in the lichfield mercury our local newspaper.



WHEN 15-year-old Michael Patterson died in his sleep, he had already packed an impressive amount into his life.The Tae Kwon Do world champion left a lasting impression on all who met him and they are now determined to turn his memory into something everyone can see."When Mike passed away there were so many people who were very upset," says 15-year-old Amy Mallaband, one of the John Taylor High School pupil's close friends."We felt there was nothing practical we could do to cheer us up or help in any way. But then a couple of people had the idea of having a skate park in memorial to him."It would indeed be a fitting tribute to Michael, whose death at the end of last month at the family home in Park End, Lichfield, remains unexplained.An avid skateboarder, as well as Tae Kwon Do champ, rugby player, athlete and one-time junior boxer, the teenager was fully behind a previous attempt to establish a facility in Beacon Park.Another close friend, Amber Flemming-Smith, set up the Michael Patterson Skate Park page on social networking site Facebook."By the next day we had over 100 fans and now we have over 1,200 fans, which is absolutely amazing," adds Amy.Together with other mutual mates Jamie Sporcic, Jess Brannigan and Pat Heaney, wheels really started to roll."We were all very close to Mike and decided that we were really going to make this happen," Amy says."The first idea we had to raise money was the Shenstone Fun Run and so far that has been a big hit – there are so many people who are running it in aid of him."We came up with posters and banners and arranged for lots of people to gather in Lichfield."There was a very good turnout and about 30 skaters, including the girls, were going around Lichfield with a petition, posters and the fun run entry forms."We then got ourselves a place on Speaker's Corner which was a big hit – there were so many supporters of us."The new campaign follows on from previous attempts to get a skate park built in the city, a cause fully supported by Michael himself."Mike was out nearly every night skating, as are many skaters in Lichfield," adds Amy."He was someone that was passionate about it, so we are not going to shut up until we get this for him!"We are happy to raise all the money ourselves, which will take a lot of time and effort, but we're happy to donate this for Michael."We are not around to cause trouble, or look like big gangs hanging around."The lads are just people who want to continue to do a sport but the nearest skate park to us is Fradley, which is an expensive bus journey away."We are a group of people that were very good friends with Mike who want to make a name for him."It is a cause which has the thumbs-up from Michael's family, who have been bowled over by the massive public reaction after his death and turnout for his funeral on Tuesday, May 12."We fully support everything they are trying to do," says his mum Eileen Patterson."They are great role models and show there is real hope for the young of today."They are respectful, very organised, enthusiastic and are just what people want youngsters to be."And Michael's friends are also doing a lot for the image of all skateboarders, adds Mrs Patterson."Skateboarders can have a very negative image but everyone who meets Michael's friends would see that is not a true reflection," she says proudly."Michael would be so pleased; he would have thoroughly enjoyed this campaign because he truly believed Lichfield desperately needs a skate park."

lichfield skate vid fest!

check it out! get your entry in!

please note our email is lichfield-skatepark-committee@hotmail.co.uk not .com like on the poster!thanks!

website goes live!

finally got the website live at our domain! www.lichfieldskatepark.co.uk ...thanks to craig for the help with the domain name stuff!!!anyway here's a real good video of mike aitken for all you bmx fans!!!no one else rides like aitken! enjoy!(pitty the musics been changed...but the riding is still really good!)

pretty skateparks?!!

skateparks with landscaping?!! this is something some of the newer better skateparks are getting into. this one in kettering, ohio in the u.s looks great. the council in lichfield are concerned over what the skatepark would look like, but we think we can blend it into the park so it looks nice! you can help us out with this by sending us pictures of skateparks that look pretty!!! below is a little video i found of the kettering park too.

protest march!

the lichfield skatepark association held a very successful protest march through the city centre on april 5th to highlight the lack of progress made by the council over the skatepark.despite 2 years of campaigning the council still does not have a site for our skatepark.

thanks to everyone who showed up.

katie cowell who organised the march got interviewed for the midlands today news! in celebration of this great event here's one of my favourite vids from one of my favourite skaters! enjoy!

lichfield skatepark news!

here is where you will find the latest news for the proposed skatepark. this will be the part of the site which gets updated the most. we want you to join us and help out by contacting us. that way you can join our mailing list, become a member of our association, sends us pictures to use on the website or just ask us any questions you may have.please visit http://www.lichfieldskatepark.co.uk/ for more information!
below is a little video of when the plan b team opened the new skatepark in saffron walden.this is the type of standard of skatepark we want to build. if saffron walden can do it why can't we?