Skaters celebrate official opening of new Foxton skatepark

Skaters took to the half-pipe to celebrate the opening of their village’s new skatepark.

The opening ceremony for the £70,000 Foxton skatepark took place on May 18 at Foxton Recreation Ground, with villagers of all ages turning out in force for the occasion.

Anne Howard, who was part of the committee that secured funding for the skatepark, said: “There was a very good turnout from the village and beyond for the opening, despite the distraction of Cambridge United playing at Wembley.

“There were many young and old villagers there, and one of our more senior citizens, Tony Orchard, 93, was sitting on his electric buggy watching the youngsters do their jumps on their scooters, skateboards and bikes. He said it was the best thing that has happened in Foxton for some time.

“I think he was secretly hoping to ride his buggy on the skatepark and have a competition of the oldies.”

The park was officially opened by Nigel Oakley, chairman of Foxton Parish Council, and competitions were held in various age groups to celebrate the opening. A raffle was also held to raise cash for the ongoing maintenance of the skatepark, and £200 was collected.

The skatepark came about after young people in the village presented a petition to Foxton Parish Council asking for one to be built. The parish council agreed to support the project as long as the youngsters raised some of the funds for it themselves. Further funding was obtained thanks to grants from WREN (Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd), The Amey Cespa Community Fund, as well as Foxton Parish Council, the Recreation Ground Trust and several local businesses.