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A group of community volunteers who have been grinding away to create a new skate park in Wirksworth are ramping up their efforts after landing a huge grant to hit their fundraising target.

A £50,000 injection from the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund has set the wheels in motion for the construction contract to be put out to tender.

It is the final piece of the jigsaw following a £90,000 fundraising campaign which has been widely supported by local residents, businesses and other grant-giving organisations.

Aaron Laycock, manager at Tarmac’s nearby Dene quarry, said: “It is great to see the community coming together to bring this project to life. It is important to Tarmac to give back to our local communities, so it’s great to be able to support this project.

Plans for a new skatepark in Wirksworth are almost ready to roll. (Photo: Michal Cizek/AFP via Getty Images)

“We look forward to seeing the skatepark once it’s completed, and hope that it will be enjoyed for many years to come.”

The group New Opportunities for Wirksworth (NOW) was previously responsible for developing the original timber skatepark at the Fanny Shaw playing field, on Cromford Road, in 2006.

After 14 years providing the town’s young people with a space to call their own, it had to be dismantled in 2020 due to spiralling maintenance costs.

A number of parents and other supporters formed a subgroup linked to NOW and took on the task of establishing a more permanent facility.

Money has come flooding in from all manner of sources, from the Wirksworth Beer Festival to a Knit-and-Natter club, local employers such as Technolog and Stacey Asphalt, fundraising gigs at the Red Lion Hotel and loose change donated by customers at zero-waste shop.

Online crowdfunding has contributed almost £30,000 and there has been further generous support from the Vernon Robert Bowmer Charitable Trust, Sport England and British Cycling.

NOW chair Alison Clamp said: “We’ve had such amazing support from the whole town – it makes you feel really proud to live in a town that cares enough about its young people that they’ll put their hand in their pockets to help.

“It’s even more amazing given the current squeeze on everyone’s finances. Every single pound donated deserves a huge thank you.”

For more information about the tender process contact [email protected].

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£50,000 grant brings plans for new Derbyshire skatepark close to construction

Support your Derbyshire Times by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Click here to subscribe.