About the Trust

Following an unsuccessful attempt to put the skatepark out to tender in 2005/06, Portsmouth City Council proposed reducing the opening of the park to the summer months only. This was widely seen by the users and others as a step towards closure and provoked a vociferous campaign of objection. In response, the Leader of the Council threw out a challenge to the park’s supporters to come up with a new body to take over the park operation.

A number of individuals came together, registered as a not for profit company and subsequently as a charity and negotiated the transfer of the park on 1st April 2011.

The Southsea Skatepark Company (working name Southsea Skatepark Trust), has a 60 year lease on the park at a peppercorn rent. In the first five years of operation the Trust received year-on-year reducing revenue funding from the Council. This funding ceased on 31st March 2016, since when the Trust has been wholly self-funding.

As an additional income stream, the Trust opened its own onsite shop in 2014, selling scooters, skates, helmets and spares, as well as a range of own branded goods.

The Trust also owns a catering unit within the park, which is rented to an independent operator and yields a rental to the Trust as well as providing a service to users, parents and spectators.

The Skatepark is open all year round and caters for beginners to professionals, with some 90% of users being under 16.

For more information, contact us at the email address shown above.

Mission Statement – Our Vision for Southsea Skatepark

To be a regional and national centre of excellence for extreme sports. We aim to achieve this by:

• Ensuring the long term financial viability of the Skatepark by generating sufficient income to sustain and continuously improve the Skatepark and its facilities
• Being recognised as a skatepark of significance, with strong historical ties locally, regionally, nationally and internationally
• Catering for skating, skateboarding, BMX and scooter riding at all levels from beginner to professional
• While respecting the skatepark’s heritage, bringing the facilities up to international standards
• Hosting a rich programme of events at local and national and potentially international level, including Olympic
• Fostering local talent and giving all users the opportunity to reach their potential
• Extending opportunities for use of the Skatepark by the community, including non-sporting activities and events
• Building partnerships with local schools and other organisations, including encouraging the inclusion of extreme sports in the sports curriculum
• Creating secure jobs to enable the recruitment, training and retention of high quality staff
• Supporting the City’s visitor economy and contributing to the regeneration of Southsea seafront in line with the seafront masterplan