Skate fun ahead of upgrade

BALLARAT Youth Services latest skate clinic at the Wendouree West Recreation Reserve on Thursday aimed to get the community involved in the site’s soon-to-be upgraded facilities.

Following an $7 million in election promise in 2018 the City of Ballarat coordinator of health and social planning Breanna Doody said the reserve’s makeover is already underway.

“The Strengthening Wendouree Project has been a long-term project, four years ago, this space was just a dried soccer pitch and a badly maintained area, lots of broken glass, no one around,” she said.

“Together with lots of partners including the City of Ballarat, the YMCA, the Neighbourhood Centre, the Forest Rangers and others, over time we’ve been trying to improve the site.

“The first bit was around community safety and getting gardens and barbeques, now we’re doing a pitch upgrade, the BMX pump track, some skate elements as part of landscaping and a brand-new facility set to open mid next year.”

The recent free skate clinic attracted a range of kids and teenagers, as well as their parents, who came along to engage in consultation about the potential look and feel of the community space.

“We did the pop up to get the community interested, there’s not always been a huge history of skate in this area so it’s great to generate some interest,” Ms Doody said.

While there were representatives from a variety of community associations involved in the consultation, a team from the Victorian Skating Association mentored the clinic.

“Richard and Rachel run All Aboard skate clinics which is about getting more people and especially girls involved in skating,” Ms Doody said.

“We reached out to them because we knew they would be able to deliver this clinic as a pop up, people said they’re having a great time.

“This community can have a space that they’re really proud of that is of high quality, you can see by the turnout, they want a space to gather together in.”