Our Aim
We at Brighton Youth Centre our looking to raise funds to completely revamp our current basic skateboard facility and turn it into a brand new modern, varied and attractive skatepark to accommodate the whole of Brighton and the South of England. This will in turn allow us to scale up the work we can do here, becoming more accessible to a wider user base and having much more to offer on our program.
We can carry out all of our entire redevelopment plan by reaching our target of £20,000.
In exchange for your generosity we have a number of rewards on offer, including some ideal gifts. You can view these along the right hand side and see product pictures below.
To contact us please email [email protected] or call 01273 681368
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Pro Skateboarder Tom Penny shows his support for BYC skatepark. His board, along with others, is up for auction at
http://www.32auctions.com/bycskatepark
About BYC Skatepark
Brighton Youth Centre is a charity organisation working primarily with young people in and around The City of Brighton and Hove. Here we run a program of various activities, events and support for young people of all backgrounds and with different interests. BYC is the busiest youth work organisation in the city.
The skateboard park on the top floor of the building has been a key attraction for the centre for over 15 years. Originally doubling as a football court with a handful of wooden ramps being dragged out on Saturdays, it gradually improved and eventually became a permanent feature.
Our program consists of sessions for various age groups, and a popular tuition course for both young people and adults wanting to learn how to skateboard. The park is also open to members of our youth clubs, and for events we hold throughout the year. The space and experienced team have supported hundreds of people in the area in learning and enjoying skateboarding in a safe and friendly environment. Our tuition program is one of the most popular in the country, and between this and all of our other sessions the number of people visiting the park each week is in the hundreds.
Over many years our skate facility has helped thousands of people of all ages come together to learn and enjoy this great activity. Through teaching and support young people have been able to learn great new skills, gain confidence, make friends, keep healthy and express themselves freely.
Learn more about BYC skatepark
Why We Need To Change
BYC is the only indoor skate facility in Brighton, and one of only a small handful in the South of England. Skateboarding's huge popularity here means there has always been a high demand for a high quality indoor skatepark in the area. The skateboard scene is ever growing and the oversubscribed outdoor park in Brighton is not ideal for many, and of course unusable in our frequent bad weather. An indoor park provides a safer and more comfortable environment, with staff on hand to attend to provide support and attend to any needs. While BYC has done it's best to fulfil this need, funding cuts have sadly meant the park has fallen behind in terms of quality and what it can offer.
The park has slowly developed over the years, with few changes and additions being made. The park has never been able to fulfil it's true potential with the space we have here. The problem has worsened in recent times with ramps ageing and becoming less usable, and falling in to a state that is becoming harder and harder to repair.
Our established space, presence and experienced workers means there is a huge potential for us to reach, becoming the facility that has always been longed for in the area.
The Impact
The benefits of this facility being built in Brighton will be huge and reach many people.
Skateboarding is evidently an immensely popular activity in the area already. The outdoor facility at The Level is busy on any given day, with a vast community of people coming together over a common interest. However, it is not always ideal for those both already using the space, or those who would like to get into skating.
The Level is largely oversubscribed and unsuitable for many, with its busy nature making it a difficult and sometimes dangerous place for people wanting to skate, especially young people. With lots of well experienced users it becomes a difficult place for somebody who is new to skating or does not feel confident to jump in the mix. It is of course also unusable in our frequent bad weather.
A new indoor skate park will provide a safe and comfortable place for children, teenagers and adults to practice all year round. With experienced workers always on hand to give advice and support, users can gain confidence and learn, whereas a busy public park is often off-putting.
A larger and more varied park means we can cater to a wider range of people, from those who are looking to start to the most experienced skaters. A good park caters for everybody with ramps that can be used in different ways, whatever the ability level.
Most importantly, bringing more people through the doors will allow us to expand our program and offer more opportunities for people who want to come and use the park. This means we can –
- Increase our opening times to give more frequent and longer sessions for people of all ages to come and use the park.
- Offer a lot more in our tuition courses, making them even more beneficial to those who come and learn how to skate here.
- Offer more open times for users who at the moment have limited sessions available to come and skate.
- Make the park available to use in the daytime during school breaks
- Increase the additional offers we make alongside the park, such as events, competitions, film screenings, art and film workshops, private sessions, tuition courses in other local parks and more.
- Reach out to more community groups such as schools, activity clubs and care groups. There are hundreds of great organisations in the city that we will be able to work with to allow people to discover a wonderful new space and activity.
In times where accessible and affordable positive activities for young people are decreasing and becoming harder to sustain, places like this are an enormous asset. Skateboarding is a fun, creative and healthy activity that allows people of all ages and backgrounds to make friends, keep active and express themselves. The sport is an opening to endless opportunities to learn, challenge oneself, travel and meet people with a common interest. Ask any skateboarder the positive impact it has had on their lives and you will see!
Natalie and Pearl, mother and daughter who both learned to skateboard at Brighton Youth Centre, tell us about how B|YC skatepark has helped them.
The Big Plan
For the first time in the park's history, we are hoping to completely rid of the existing park and transform it into a larger and greatly improved facility, usable for everybody from those who have never stood on a board before to professional level skateboarders. We have an initial design that has been worked on by our staff, local skaters and an experienced park building company, who will be carrying out the construction.
With £20,000 we can carry out the main renovation, which will involve -
- Removing the dividing wall to maximise the size of the park.
- A completely new park design, running from wall to wall and including a 25ft wide mini ramp. The design will be based on flexibility and incorporate obstacles that can be easily moved and used in different ways.
- Replacing the current imperfect concrete surface with a smooth and even wooden floor. This will give the ultimate skating experience with a much smoother and safer ride.
- A new hangout area in the park with a music system, TV, sign in area and seating. Perfect to take a rest or to watch others skating.
- A film projector and screen in the park, letting us show skate films during sessions, and giving a perfect setting for film screenings.
- Brand new equipment, which will be free to use at every session.
- Changing the windows to make the most of the great views from the top of the building, and securing them for safety with the new ramps.
This is a flexible funding campaign, meaning if we do not hit our target we will still receive the money that we raise. Should we not make our target within the timeframe, we will continue our fundraising campaign in other forms until we have the full amount, and if possible proceed with some of the build in the mean time. Either way, we will be going through with our entire plan!
People's generosity towards our last fundraising campaign a few years ago raised an amazing £2,500. The original plans around this time to install an extra feature to the park sadly had to be put on hold, but now we are back on track we are able to continue where we started and secure this money as part of this new plan, which is much larger than what was previously possible.
Your Own Fundraising
If you want to get involved yourself and hold your own fundraising campaign or event, we will offer help and support for you to do this. Anyone who takes on their own campaign will have their hard work acknowledged with a plaque in the park detailing their achievements!
Gift Aid
Gift Aid is a scheme that allows charities to reclaim tax on donations by UK taxpayers. This will allow us to claim an extra 25% on top of certain donations, at no extra cost to you. Donations for certain rewards, as well as donations pledged without claiming a reward, should be eligible for Gift Aid. If you are eligible, please check the Gift Aid box when pledging to make your contribution go even further!
Rewards
We have some great rewards on offer to say thank you. Here's a closer look at some of them. Click any to enlarge.
Exclusive Drawing Boards 'The Star' Tshirt - £30
A special selection of boards hand drawn by young people here at BYC. Choose your design by the number when pledging - £60
Exclusive Drawing Boards 'Potions' Tshirt - £60
Be your very Sidewalk magazine cover star! £175