Ventnor Blog

I’m not keen on just sticking out press releases on the blog, I usually like to take the contents and write it up in my own style, but today I’m too busy, so here’s a press release from the Ventnor Community Projects. It’s great news and we wish them all the best with the StreetStyle project.

Brilliant news from Ventnor Community Projects who have been successful in being awarded £10K from The Youth Opportunity Fund for new skate park equipment as part of their StreetStyle project.

This represents half of the total needed to bring the park up to scratch, which needs repairs to the existing ramp, new fencing and a barrier wall to offer better protection from the sea. StreetStyle, which has been formed by a group of teenagers and young adults as part of a Trans European project in ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP called Grundtvig 2, is run by Ventnor Community Projects in partnership with the Isle of Wight Council’s Arts Unit. In the short time that the project has been running the group are well advanced with plans to hold a summer Youth Festival in Ventnor.

This will involve skate boarding displays and competitions, demonstrations of Parkour (for the uninitiated this is the art of forward movement, running up and jumping of walls and much more), plus, live MCing/DJing, Battle of the Bands, Street Art, and supporting events. They are organising workshops in support of the Youth festival and have started running workshops for Internet MySpace and will be setting up a web site IOW StreetStyle. To complete this ambitious programme they have started video filming their activities and aim to produce a DVD which will be distributed throughout Europe as part of project.

Chairman of Ventnor Community Projects, Rob Chuter, is delighted with the progress the project is making. He said “It has taken a lot of planning to bring the Grundtvig project to Ventnor”

“A big thanks must go to Alison Knapman from IOW Arts Unit who has dedicated so much effort in co-ordinating the project with our European partners.” Rob also said that, “As the UK representative for this Tran European project in Active Citizenship and with the publicity this will get, it can only be of future benefit for Ventnor, hopefully attracting more European vistors to our town.”

The StreetStyle group have already started raising funds, £97 from one evening viewing of skating and parkour videos toward the additional £10K needed for building materials. The teenagers and young adults will be actively involved in helping in the rebuilding of the skate park. However, their skills are limited and there is a need for experienced tradesmen that can volunteer some time, particularly for block & brick laying. Contact Rob Chuter on 853216 if you can offer any assistance.

All this talk of skating reminded me of the skateboarding dog …. for anyone that didn’t see it the first time round …. here it is again.

[skating priests image courtesy of Get Religion Blog

Community, Festivals, Skating