By Jill Stocks
A recently formed volunteer group in Horsforth hosted their first community event this weekend when the community were invited to meet the team and take part in a clean up.
The Friends of Horsforth Skatepark are a recently formed sub group of the friends of Horsforth Hall Park and as well as a park clean up the team were also offering a skateboard MOT service, an opportunity to meet other skaters and learn about the sport and an invite to come and skate.
The event on Saturday and the numbers who attended highlighted the popularity of skating and the popularity of the skatepark which was completed in 2020.
Ian Pemberton is a regular user of the skatepark and has been skating 45 years.
He said: “I come here as much as I possibly can. It’s literally the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
“I opened an office just down the road and I look out the office window and every time the suns out I’m like right it’s time to escape [to the skatepark] so it’s been fantastic for me.”
Indeed all of the volunteers were keen to stress the health benefits of the sport commenting on how beneficial it was to their mental health, reducing stress and anxiety and helping to build confidence, as well as the benefits for physical health, burning calories as well as helping with balance and coordination and muscle toning.
