Braintree Skate Jam
Bringing the local community together
Helping to inspire young people into wheel-based activities, Braintree have offered a number of skate jam events and workshops, bringing communities together to utilise and activate local green spaces and parks.
The skate park facility also provides a positive intervention for young people, reducing anti-social behaviour, increasing physical activity levels and positive mental wellbeing.
Active Essex helping to host the event, highlighted the importance of the skate park to local families. It showcases the impact it can have on the community if refurbishments were made, young people may use it more to get active.
The wheel-based activities were funded through Find Your Active and supported by London Marathon Foundation, offering two mini skate jam workshops through Braintree, Essex ActivAte clubs, helping to target young people who were eligible for benefits based free school meals and working families who would benefit from extra support.
The workshop included a taster session into wheel-based activities, supported by Team Rubicon, a professional skateboarding partner, to introduce skateboarding at Notley High School and Braintree Sport and Health Centre. Essex ActivAte provider, Camp 4 Champs, invited residents to join in the workshop at Notley High School, along with fun activities and signposting support for families. Hosted by YMCA, Braintree Sport and Health Centre held a taster skateboarding workshop for children, leading into a further bigger event, due to the successes of the sessions.
Developing from the workshops, a successful skate jam event was held at Weavers skatepark to bring the local community together and show how the space can be used to get residents active for free. King Ramps, another wheel-based provider, offered wheel-based demonstrations and held competitions to inspire young people.
Local partners such as the SOS bus and the Terence Higgins Trust helped run the event and Tesco provided free fruit, sandwiches and snacks. Partnership from Braintree District Council, Essex Youth Service and King Ramps ensured the event would be a success to help secure funding for the skate park to be revamped.
