Skateboarding for all

 “The Southbank Undercroft is a London institution and has provided generations of local people and visitors with a free and accessible space to be active. One of the aims of this regeneration project was to support more young people to become more physically active, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is synonymous with The Trust’s overall vision to inspire activity.

“We are delighted to see the immediate impact that this grant is having on young people’s health and we look forward to seeing London’s local community and visitors to the Southbank benefiting for many more generations to come.” Sarah Ridley, Chief Grants Officer for The London Marathon Charitable Trust.

The Trust’s £200,000 contribution helped to protect and regenerate the space but also to introduce a free Skate School for kids on Saturday mornings for three years with the aim to encourage more children, especially young girls, to give skate sports a go for the first time. The new, extended area of the Undercroft is away from the public eye making it more appealing to those who are new to skate sports. According to Long Live Southbank, more women and girls are making use of the space as a result.

Stuart Maclure, Long Live Southbank, said: "Following the completion of the Southbank Undercroft restoration project the space has seen immediate increase in people coming down at all hours of the day. It’s been terrific to see the restored little banks bringing in more beginners and women to enjoy the space and we’ve also seen more people coming down to try out roller blading, BMXing and graffiti. Thanks to The Trust, Long Live Southbank's free Skate Schools have been a great way to introduce more young people to skateboarding and have been really popular.”

Could your community benefit? Find out about what The London Marathon Charitable Trust funds.