A Nantwich teenager aiming to secure a new skate park on Barony Park has launched a campaign group to support a possible application for funding.
Alexander Donlon has been working with other skate park users to make sure a new skate park is fit for purpose.
This week he met with a possible funder for a new skate park, the FCC Communities Foundation, and unveiled some potential designs on a new Facebook group.
The FCC “Community Action Fund” provides grants of between £2,000 and £100,000 to not-for-profit organisations for amenity projects based within 10 miles of a landfill site.
The Maw Green Landfill site means projects in Crewe and Nantwich are eligible and the fund has supported a number of local projects.
Alexander said the need for a design of a skate park that listens to what users want and heard from the FCC team that they consider that to be a key feature of projects they fund.
The team encouraged Alexander to form a user group to give them a voice in an application for funding alongside the formal applicant, Cheshire East.
Alexander said: “It was great to meet with a possible funder.
“I was glad they said they want projects based on designs users decide on.
“We need a design that is going let people of all ages and skills get the chance to enjoy the skate park.
“They suggested we form a group to help people have a say so we will be starting out with a Facebook group.
“Anyone who wants to get involved in helping design a skate park we can all use can join the group and we can take it from there. I am glad Cheshire East have said they will listen to us.
“We can make sure the parks gets maintained and we can organise events and competitions.
“We might need to do some fundraising to make sure we get a proper design.
“So far I have been working with our local MP and have taken part in a recent town council meeting asking to make sure we have a say in the design of the skatepark.
“Today we met with a possible funder who suggested a user group would be great to make sure everyone who wants can have a say in how they would like the skatepark to look.
“We have launched this group and when Cheshire East release its designs it would be great to have some feedback.
“People have been wanting to get involved for a long time and there was a petition signed by hundreds of people before.
“I want to make sure we can get a result and have a proper community built skatepark moving forward.”
Crewe and Nantwich Dr Kieran Mullan is supporting the campaign, and said: “We are still waiting for Cheshire East to publish draft proposals to give users a chance to have their say.
“I have asked again when we can expect to see these proposals.
“It was very reassuring to hear from this possible funder how important the user voice is.
“I am also talking to other potential funders because actually there is a huge community appetite for a top class park so we need to make sure we can deliver that.
“Once again Alexander did a great job as a young campaigner articulating what is important to users.”
Yes this would be amazing and it would save my dad alot of petrol so we dont have drive all the way to crewe!