In an effort to install a brand new indoor skatepark in Lewes, mum of two, Viv English, has been on a fundraising mission locally for the past six months.
Viv, who runs a pub day-by-day, lives in Kingston and knows the impact a local skatepark can have on the youth, having two sons aged 9 and 12 and a husband who have all picked up the skating mantle.
Explaining the motivation behind starting the fundraiser Viv told us: “We used to frequent the old skatehouse in Lewes with all the boys in the family skating, but sadly it was unnecessarily destroyed by a since departed developer, it was sorely missed, so after discussions with the new developers, Human Nature, for the area we were granted “meanwhile” usage for a warehouse.
“My husband Ben is frantically trying to build it as fast as possible, so the town can get longevity from the project, it will have a bowl and street park section and we are hoping to get it licensed for some older evening sessions.
“Enjoolata Foundation donated £10k and SBGB and Habito donated £5k and we are incredibly grateful for their generosity, belief and vision for the project. We also did a fundraiser with Mark Chadwick (Levellers) and Hugh Harris (Kooks) and some talented local artists including the Dead Reds, Hoofish and Danny Webb all kindly giving up their incredible talents for free which raised nearly £5k.
“The local community have been overwhelmingly supportive and we hope we can do them proud!”