Two years ago Palmers Green resident Joseph, then aged 14, wrote a highly personal and persuasive letter to his local councillors suggesting that young people would greatly benefit from a skate park in Broomfield Park. A group of local parents have now begun a campaign to fulfil Joseph's vision and have launched an online petition. Friends of Broomfield Park have said that they would welcome a feasibility study and more detailed proposals and will be interested to hear what their members and other local residents think about the idea.
"The impact of skateboarding on mental health is phenomenal"
In his letter Joseph wrote frankly about feeling lonely and detached since moving to Palmers Green, finding going out of the house nerve wracking in view of the high incidence of violence and muggings in the area. He contrasted this with his experience growing up in an area with a worse record for muggings but where the availability of a skatepark had allowed him to develop relationships with other young people and feel safer:
"When I was younger, I lived in Finsbury Park – the most dangerous area in Islington according to the Metropolitan Police, with the statistic of 54 muggings in a single month. Despite this data, when I was younger (around 9-12 years old) I would never have guessed it. The reason why, is because every day when I came back from school, I would take my skateboard and bring it to the local skatepark and talk to people significantly older than me and ask them how to do certain tricks; this allowed me to develop relationships with people in the local area, making me feel safer walking around, as I recognised and knew a lot of the people.
"Not only will this skatepark bring teens together, but the impact of skateboarding on the mental health of people is phenomenal. The reason for this, is that it is such a good de-stresser; say you have had a long day at work or have been revising a lot for an upcoming exam, learning something new/ landing a new skateboard trick releases a lot of dopamine and fills you with satisfaction every time you land that trick, making you more relaxed.
"Overall, I believe this skate park is the best way forward for the youth in the Palmers Green area as it will be a good meeting point and will keep young people occupied and away from petty crime."
"A huge effort"
The petition, in the name of a group called Skatepark for Broomfield Park, has so far gained 385 signatures.The organisers realise that getting the skatepark built will take work:
"We need to show wider community support to present to Enfield Council so they can make a business case for it. We know it will be a huge effort to realise this dream, but this is the starting point. Led by young local skater Joseph, please sign the petition if you are in favour."
"More solid proposals"
Friends of Broomfield Park chair Kim Lumley has issued a statement on the FoBP Facebook page:
"I have been asked by committee members to make it clear that while FoBP enthusiastically welcome new initiatives for young people in the Park we have so far given our support to a feasibility assessment for this project.
"Before publicly supporting the project itself we will need to see the outcome of the feasibility and more solid proposals of the form and extent and make use of this to further consult our members. We will be keen to see the outcome of the petition and comments on this site.
"I should add that we have been very impressed with Joseph's presentation and the enthusiasm and approach of the group and wish them well."
The petition: Lets build a skatepark in Broomfield Park!
We are a small group of local parents and park users living in N13 and surrounding areas who feel Broomfield Park would greatly benefit by having a skatepark built. We dearly love this park but there are not enough facilities for youth of all ages to enjoy. The benefits of skateboarding are huge and with the inclusion in this year's Olympics, its popularity looks set to soar. Since lockdown its popularity has massively increased, including among girls.
Local skateboarder Joseph (aged 16) explains:
"As a passionate skater, I have made friends from all walks of life and all ages, through merely rolling around a skatepark on my board. Skating is a fun, exciting and healthy way of meeting people. As a teenager in today’s world, where so much socialising is done online, I feel distant from my peers, there isn’t much to connect us in real life.
"Skateparks are a great way to bring people together. When I lived in Finsbury Park, I was friends with such a large number of people whom I met at the skatepark. This made me feel safe and motivated me to go out every day, meet people and improve on my skating.
"After the the isolating effect of the COVID-19 lockdowns, I feel a skate park would be a perfect way of re-animating the community and uniting the youth."
The skatepark will be a professionally designed concrete park with areas for all levels and abilities.
We need to demonstrate wider community support for this plan. If you agree please help us by signing this petition which we will present to Enfield Council.
