Kirkintilloch Skatepark Initiative
Kirkintilloch Skate park Initiative (KSI) sought funding from the Communities Challenge to build a 1200m2 concrete skate park in Luggie Park, Kirkintilloch.
This would be the first facility of this kind in East Dunbartonshire (ED) and the site has good accessibility with excellent transport links including walkways/cycle paths, road links, rail links and good public transport.
Young people in ED have been asking for a skate park for many years. The first petition was handed in to Strathkelvin Council in 1978 and since then there have been continued requests.
In 2003 another petition was handed in to East Dunbartonshire Council (EDC) and the issue again came to prominence in the local newspaper as skaters were causing a persistent nuisance in the town centre and on residential streets.
So a group of skate boarders, inline skaters and BMX bikers got together and set up a charity, Kirkintilloch Skate park Initiative (KSI), to build a skate park in ED. KSI consists of young people with an adult committee to guide and support their activities.
They have had support from the community and they have worked hard to raise awareness and run many fundraising activities including raffles, stalls, gigs and selling Christmas Cards and calendars.
The group has worked in partnership with EDC which has provided guidance and expertise as well as a site for the skate park. In October 2006 KSI was successful in their application for planning permission.
Thanks to the funding award from WREN and support from EDC, KSI has improved the paths in Luggie Park around the skate park site ready for the increased use of the park by the skaters and the community in general.
The total funding now required will build the skate park on a "Design and Build" contract and pay for ancillary costs including CCTV, fencing and cycle racks.