Bores banned from opening

BORING speeches and stuffed shirts have been banned from the opening of a brand new skate park in Heathfield next week.

Parish councillor Mike Woodhouse has vowed the official event next Saturday will be "for those who designed it" and will use it, with the highlight being a showcase by the Eastbourne Skaters Association.

Mr Woodhouse said: "The four guys from the youth centre who had most to do with the design and helped prepare the grant applications are going to open it.

"No stuffed shirts and long boring speeches will be allowed.

"Full credit must go to the working group of youngsters who stuck at the project and have been rewarded by achieving their dream skate park."

The opening of the park, by the old railway line, comes after months of hard work by the children who make up the Heathfield Youth Centre committee, headed up by Beata Drury.

The old wooden equipment has been ripped out and replaced with super-fast new tarmac and ramps.

The skaters designed the shape and style of the updated park, with £30,000 of funding coming from the East Sussex Play Pathfinder Fund and £25,000 from the Youth Capital Fund of the Youth Bank UK.

The project, a joint initiative between Heathfield and Waldron Parish Council and the youth centre, hopes to give the rising numbers of youngsters who skate, board or BMX at the park the best equipment possible.

It is now also more suitable for novices and the younger age groups.

Mr Woodhouse added: "I am very proud to have worked with Beata and the guys to achieve this really fantastic new facility for the youth of Heathfield.

"The youngsters very often get bad press but this is an example of how a group can work together to achieve their goal.

"It is an outdoor exercise area with exiting new ramps on which youngsters can learn new tricks and then show them off to their friends."

The ribbon to the park will be cut at 11.30am next Saturday.

Youngsters will also be at the park tomorrow throughout the day to help graffiti the boards.