A SKATEBOARDING demonstration will be held to mark the launch of Great Chesterfords new skatepark, it has been announced. The event, which has been scheduled for Tuesday February 16, is the culmination of �57,000 worth of fundraising over the past year.

A SKATEBOARDING demonstration will be held to mark the launch of Great Chesterfords' new skatepark, it has been announced.

The event, which has been scheduled for Tuesday February 16, is the culmination of �57,000 worth of fundraising over the past year.

The idea for building a skatepark was originally proposed in mid 2008 by teenagers from the village and was finally completed early January by Maverick Industries - a skater run business specialising in skatepark developments across the UK.

Fundraiser for the Great Chesterford Skatepark Committee, Sorrel Gordon-Foxwell, said: "We were aware that a lot of the youths in the area were hanging around the recreation ground with nothing to do, it is to their credit that they approached the parish council with this solution.

"They were involved from the start, approving the designs and organising fundraising in the village.

"Of all the potential things we could have provided this was the best. It is a healthy and, most importantly, popular outdoor activity."

Whilst most of the money was raised through grants, including a �45,000 grant from Essex County Council's Community Initiatives Fund, much of the fundraising fell to the youngsters in the village.

They put on events throughout the year including a Valentine's disco, a crockery smash at the annual village steam up, and a garage sale which on its own raised over �600.

Safety was a concern, as with any development of this sort, and signs have been put up to warn people of the risks associated with using the ramps. The site also benefits from the existing CCTV system.

"The ramp was built to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents' standards" said Ms Gordon-Foxwell. "We also chose the more expensive steel construction in the hope that it will be more durable and less prone to wear and tear."

The build began in winter 2009 but faced delays due to the extreme weather conditions seen over the past few months and took 11 weeks to finish.

Already in its early days the ramps are being heavily used by local children and these numbers are only expected to increase.

The development follows Saffron Walden's One Minet Park, a world class skate facility that was opened in 2007.