YOUNG people from across the Penleigh and Oldfield Park area of Westbury enjoyed a day full of free activities at the skate and scooter day at the Penleigh Skate Park earlier this month.
The free events at Penleigh Park are usually the responsibility of POPCAN (Penleigh and Oldfield Park Community Action Network) but following the group disbanding due to a lack of volunteers last year, £1,000 in grant money was given back to the Westbury Town Council so they could host one more skate and scooter day for local children to enjoy.
The event proved to be extremely popular with the local community as parents watched on as children took part in the skate and scooter event led by Swindon based ATB SkateWarehouse and dodgeball led by James Robinson from South West Dodgeball. There was also a bouncy castle and ice cream for children to enjoy from the local business, The Ice Queen Van.
The event was supported by members of 4Youth South West, who undertake detached youth work in the town, as well as Westbury town councillors.
Cllr Sheila Kimmins, who used to be the chair of POPCAN, says, “All the events that POPCAN and now the town council has held over recent years have been so well received by the children and this event proved no different! It was so lovely seeing how popular the event was and what was great was seeing so many families turn up with a picnic for a day out.
“POPCAN was initially set up by Scott Jacobs-Lang of Sovereign Housing as a way to work with the local community to improve things for families living in the Penleigh and Oldfield park area of the town and it has hosted many events over the years. POPCAN unfortunately had to disband as we ran out of local volunteers to help run it and join the committee, so we handed back the last grant we received from the town council and asked them to run one final event for the children.
“If anyone wanted to re-start POPCAN and help organise events such as these in the future please do get in contact with me.”
If you are interested in re-starting POPCAN, contact Sheila at sheila.kimmins@westburytowncouncil.gov.uk
