Roller skaters in Newham have urged the council to create officially designated spots for them to meet and practise, with a petition and over 600 supporters.
The petition focuses on the health benefits, social interaction and stress relief that the sport brings and says that a new, dedicated space would also prevent young skaters from using unsafe locations or skating where they aren’t wanted, causing community tension.
Stratford itself has a long history of roller skating, with the sport exploding in popularity across London, particularly during the Covid pandemic.
Petition starter Charli-Mae Ellet said: “Living in London, I’ve seen first-hand the need for dedicated spaces where young people can roller skate freely and safely.
“These spaces should be accessible, safe, and nurtured as places where young people can socialise, make new friends, and skate without the fear of being reprimanded.”
Petition supporter Maison said: “Us skaters have nowhere to skate and that’s why we use carparks, yet it’s quite dangerous.
“We need a safe spot just for us same way skateboards have skate parks and bikes have BMX tracks.”
This follows other initiatives like Skate Cabal, a Newham Year of the Young Person-funded project started by entrepreneur James Kaguima aimed at making spaces for skating to express creativity and build community.
Stratford local Danielle said: “I’d support it, if it would stop them speeding through [Westfield shopping centre].
“They need places for their own, or else they get bored and do something stupid, like throwing the sofas over the barriers.”
There is no suggestion that the children responsible for throwing a seat over the barrier at Westfield shopping centre are also responsible for this petition, but Danielle makes the wider point about young people not having access to spaces for themselves.
Indeed, a 2021 report by Sian Berry AM found that 133 youth centres had closed in London over the last decade and that Newham had lost 13 of its 18 youth centres that were open in 2019-20.
This, even as the council proposed to spend £4.5 million a year between 2020-2023 on youth services to offset the austerity cuts of the 2010s.
Another local at Westfield shopping centre said: “They whizz past me and my kids; they come so close, it can be quite scary.
“They should have somewhere to go and practise so they don’t have to skate around here.”
At time of publication, Newham council had not responded to request for comment.
Featured image by Danny Lines, free to use under the Unsplash License
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