A DETERMINED push is under way to turn years of discussion into concrete action as campaigners behind a proposed new skate park in Looe urge the whole community to rally behind the £300,000 project.

Kim Spencer, from Looe Development Trust, is calling on residents, businesses and local organisations to show their backing for the long-awaited facility, warning that without clear community buy-in, the scheme could struggle to secure vital funding.

“We’re starting to speak to local businesses and groups about running events for us, or if we can piggyback on existing events to really get the crowdfunder up and running,” said Kim. “We have made a solid start and raised 15 per cent of the total so far, but we’ve still got work to do. We’ve got £300,000 to raise and to go for those bigger funds, we need to show there is real buy-in from the local community.”

The proposed skate park, planned for the far end of Millpool Car Park, has been talked about for years. Past attempts in 2002 and 2010 to build in and around where the children’s play park is were thwarted at the planning stage due to noise issues. Momentum has grown since Cornwall Council granted planning permission in October, and organisers say the project is now at a critical stage.

Led by a working group including Looe Development Trust, The Boundless Trust and Looe Town Council, the scheme aims to create a modern skate park designed and built by Maverick Skateparks. It will be named The Edwina Hannaford Skatepark, in memory of the former town and county councillor whose encouragement and determination helped drive the project forward.

Kim said demonstrating local support is essential when applying for major grants.

“The easiest way to do that is to show people are backing us. Trust me, I’ve been working on this non-stop, especially looking at grants we can apply for, and it’s vitally important we have that local support,” she said. “It’s not about huge donations. When it comes to crowdfunders, they’re often looking at the number of supporters rather than how much each person gives. At the moment, we’ve got a handful of supporters. We need more people on board because every donation makes a difference.

“We’re going to be bidding for those bigger funds and it’s a competitive process against projects with professional bid writers. To stand a chance, we need to not only tick all the boxes, but show the whole community is with us.

“This has been talked about for years and we believe it can make a real difference, especially for the younger generation. It’s about getting kids out and about, doing something they want to do.”

Support has been pledged by Looe Town Council, the East and West Looe Town Trusts and the Harbour Commissioners. Fundraising has also begun through a number of local events.

“The town council have been fantastic,” Kim added. “Now we need businesses, local groups, organisations and the Looe community to get behind us. This is a mountain to climb, but it’s an investment in our young people.”