New owners of Doncaster skate park launch £25,000 crowdfunding plea to revamp venue

Twisted, Doncaster’s only indoor skate park, has been taken over by a group of young skateboard enthusiasts – and the group are now looking for backing to help realise their dreams for the venue in Marshgate.

Launching the appeal HERE friends Lewis, Emma, Ryan, Cath and David stepped in after previous owners Kevin and Katie Boardman put the venue up for sale in January.

In a joint statement, they said: “We are a collective of skateboarders who all had a crazy dream.

“When our local indoor skatepark came up for sale, a few of us joked around the dinner table about how we should buy it. With reassurance from people we believe to know their stuff, we started to realise it wasn't just a crazy dream we could actually do it.

“Fast forward to now, where with the help of wide network and community of people offering us advice, guidance and support, we have began the takeover of Twisted skatepark.

"We have a huge vision of how we want to make Twisted into the ultimate community hub, not just for action sports, but for everyone

“Thing is, we know our park is far from perfect. The ramps are big, steep and fast, and they are hard to learn anything on or to progress on without a really high riding ability, regardless of what wheels you favour.

"We want our park to be as inclusive, accessible, and most importantly, as fun for everybody, as possible.

“We've spoken to our community and users, and have heard what changes need to be made.”

The group want to scrap ‘big and fast’ ramps and other ramps they describe as ‘crazily unsafe.’

They also want to create an outdoor skate section, and to introduce a “comfortable” viewing area for spectators and supervisors.

They added: “We also want to refurbish and upgrade our café area, which is dark, cold and unwelcoming, and turn it into a space for performers and artists of all kinds, as well as offering tasty and wholesome vegan food and places for people to meet.

“We want to help get as many people into action sports as possible.

"Whether its skateboarding, roller blading, scooters or BMX, we know and understand how important a safe and welcoming indoor space can be for anyone wanting to learn these sports, especially for marginalised genders.

"We've said it before and we'll keep saying it, but we want our park to be as inclusive as possible!”

“We're a workers co-operative, which to us means we aren't here to make profit for ourselves, but to put every penny back into Doncaster's skate scene and elevate our local community as much as we can.

"We have big dreams, and with your support, we will be able to bring them to life and create the ultimate community hub that little old Donny is crying out for.

“Thank you for your support so far. We're chuffed to bits to be able to open our doors every day and welcome riders of all kinds. We love our community, and cant wait to rebuild our ramps into ones that are fun and usable for everyone.”