Funding for indoor skate park gives Stoke children opportunity
An indoor skatepark in Stoke-on-Trent has reduced the cost of its classes and bought new equipment to help parents with the cost of living crisis.
Unit 1 Park Works, in Hanley, said the £4,500 for equipment from the National Lottery had enabled children to keep their "social environment".
rk opened due to a lack of facilities and outdoor skate parks often being unsafe to use in winter.
"We want to make it as cheap as possible," founder Jess Siegertsz said.
In 2016 Unit 1 was set up by Ashley Kosciekowski and Ms Siegertsz. 
It had been Mr Kosciekowski's dream to build one for the community of Stoke after growing up without a place to go indoors.
When Ms Siegertsz learnt how to skate, she said her mother "couldn't believe [Stoke] didn't have a skatepark".
"My mum donated her life savings, sold her house, just because she saw how passionate we were about the sport and how it would benefit the community," Ms Siegertsz said.
"Since the cost of living crisis, everything is so expensive so we have had to reduced our prices to try and encourage people to come," the 27-year-old said.
rk received £4,500 in funding to buy new equipment such as skateboards, for the children to use. 
kate park has also seen an increase in female skateboarders.
"Sky Brown has been an inspiration for young girls," Ms Siegertsz said.
Miss Brown became Team GB's youngest ever Olympic medallist at the age of 13, when she won bronze in the women's park skateboarding at Tokyo 2020.
"We now actually have more female skate students than male students since Sky Brown," Ms Siegertsz said.
Unit 1 also runs a women and girls-only night every Wednesday which has now become more popular than the general admission sessions.
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