RAISING THE MONEY FOR YOUR SKATEPARK

We won't pull any punches here, raising the money for your new skatepark is undoubtedly the hardest part of getting a new skatepark ......

.......... but it is possible. Many groups have done it already. There is no reason why you cannot do the same. Whenever things are tough, or your morale is low, you must always remind yourself of this fact.

For most skatepark projects, there is a clear expectation that the users and supporters of the skatepark will need to be heavily involved in the task of raising the money. It is very unlikely that your local authority will pay for the whole skatepark or undertake all (or any) of the fundraising work.

This is where the new skatepark gets real. Once you start raising money for the new skatepark, there's no turning back.

WHERE WILL WE GET THE MONEY?

Raising the money takes time, dedication and hard work. It is unlikely that the funds will come from once source alone. Usually the money comes from a number of difference sources. Some you will have raised yourselves through grassroots community fundraising. Think car washing, raffles, cake sales etc. You can get started with local grassroots fundraising withn your community as early on as you wish.

Remember, £5,000 raised by your community will carry its weight in gold when you are applying for funding. It clearly demonstrates that the community are willing to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in. Do not underestimate the importance of money raised grassroots fundraising when potential backers review your request or application for grants and financial backing.

A majority of the money for your skatepark is likely to come from:-

• Local Council & District Council funding.
• Bodies such as the National Lottery, Sport England & Landfill Communities grants.
• Charities and Trusts.
• Donations from local people and businesses.

PEOPLE FROM YOUR WHOLE COMMUNITY WILL NEED TO BE INVOLVED.

Skateparks are the permanent result of hard work by the whole community. The skatepark users cannot do it alone, nor should they be expected to. It’s not uncommon to hear about communities that make a big show of supporting their local skatepark advocates but do little else to advance the project.

While it feels great to hear “we support you,” the phrase doesn’t mean a whole lot by itself. When someone says “we support you,” it should mean “we are willing to contribute what we can.”

WHAT STAGE SHOULD WE BE AT WHEN WE START SEEKING FUNDING?.

At this stage in the skatepark development you should have a reasonable amount of community and local authority support. Your site should be approved, or very close it. You are not going to be awarded any significant funding from grants if you do not have a site. These grant bodies want to award money to projects that they feel are feasible, that is, projects that they think will happen in the not too distance future.

Now that you have your site, you can begin to shift your focus away from garnering public support and toward collecting money to pay for the park.

HAVING SELECTED YOUR SUPPLIER WILL HELP YOUR CAUSE

You are going to need a concept design, and a breakdown of the costs. You can contact a supplier and ask for a visual of the design and a breakdown of the costs of a park they have already built. But many grant bodies will want at least two quotes for the work.

As part of your skatepark process, you're going to need to select a supplier to design and construct your skatepark. If this process has been completed, then your project is one step closer to completion, increasing your chances of getting the money you require.

Completing this process will also provide you with the quotes for the work that your grant applications will require. We will cover the supplier selection process in another section.

RAISING THE MONEY IS A DAUNTING & ENORMOUS TASK.

Skatepark advocates can struggle for years trying to achieve there fundraising goal. Most skatepark projects take 2-6 years from that very first meeting to the opening of your new park. A majority of that time will be spent fundraising.

You can find out what works and what doesn’t by learning from the experience of others who have been through the process for a skatepark, and by just getting stuck in.

Take comfort in knowing that the challenges you face have been met and overcome by hundreds of other skatepark projects in the UK alone. The funding obstacles you face are not unique, and you are not in an impossible situation, even though it may sometimes feel like it.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO INCREASE OUR CHANCES OF RECEIVING FUNDING?

The more work you have done, the higher the your chances are of receiving a grant. Remember that there are always more applications for grants than there is money to be awarded.

To maximise your chances of success, you need to do everything you can to show that you have worked harder than the other applicants, that your project has more support than the others, that your project has been more carefully planned than the others.

• Have you completed a feasibility study?
• Have you calculated the projected usage numbers?
• Do you have documented proof of support?
• Have you selected your supplier?
• Do you have planning permission?
• Have you raised any money through grassroots fundraising?
• Do you have minutes from your group meetings?
• Do you have evidence of community consulation?
• Do you have evidence of community involvement?
• Have you put together a delivery plan?
• Have you put together a sports delivery plan documenting how you will actively work to increase sports participation in your community once the new skatepark is open?

If you have not done most ot all of these things, chances are that another applicant or project has, scoring them more highly than your project and therefore giving you less of a chance of receiving the grant you are applying for.

ULTIMATELY ....

Just keep plugging away. Do not give up hope. Keep on filling in the grant application forms. You should now be comfortable with the language used to explain your project, to convince people of why it's a good idea and to explain the positive effects it will have on your community.

We all have different strengths, it writing clearly and effectively isn't yours, then get someone who is to help you.

To avoid writers block, just start with writing whatever comes to mind. You can edit and polish it over time. We'll cover how best to answer the questions on grant forms in a later section. Remember, it's not so much about what you're building, but the positive outcomes that it will have, the social issues it will solve. To start with, focus on increased levels of sports participation and reducing anti-social behaviour.

If you get a rejection letter, take note of the feedback and constructive criticism they give you on your project. Address that area of concern and then apply for another grant. Keep trawling the internet for potential grants to apply for. Look at grants that other skatepark projects have applied for and apply for them too.

Just keep plugging away and it will happen

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ARTICLES RELATED TO THIS SECTION

Start a Facebook page

Start a Petition for your Skatepark

Form a Skatepark Group

Have a Skatepark Group meeting

Write a Mission Statement

Contact a Skatepark Company for Designs of Parks they've built

Contact A Reputable Concrete Skatepark Company for some designs of parks they've built

Create Awareness & Support For Your Project

Introduce Your Project To Your Local Council

Gain Council Support For Your Skatepark Project