Local skateboarders, micro-scooter and BMX users are being urged to consider forming their own club this week to aid plans to build a wheeled play facility in Tenby.

Last year, Pembrokeshire County Council removed children's play equipment at Tenby's Jubilee Park on health and safety grounds.

With no county council funding available for replacement equipment, a group of concerned parents, grandparents and youth workers set up the Friends of the Jubilee Park to raise money to reinstate the play facilities.

There have been calls for a skate facility in Tenby for many years and the removal of the equipment at the Jubilee meant that there was now land available to create a small park

The Friends, along with Tenby Town Council, devised a scheme which combines a range of play equipment for five to 11-year-olds with a skate park on the site.

The project, which costs £85,000, has been part funded by grants from Tenby Town Council (£38,500), Pembrokeshire County Council (£20,000) and Dyfed-Powys Police Proceeds of Crime (£5,000); donations from local organisations like Tenby Guides and Brownies, Tenby Civic Society, Tenby Soroptimists and Tenby Chamber of Trade and Tourism and fundraising initiatives by The Friends.

"The Friends are very grateful for all the support we have received to date and are continuing to raise funds, but at the moment we still have to find approximately £18,000," explained Friends' secretary Andrew Davies.

"We have sent off grant bids to various organisations, including Sport Wales, but we are finding that they require evidence of the numbers that will use the facility once completed.

"Naturally this is difficult to work out as it is an open access area that people can use whenever they want during the day," he continued.

"We know from the numbers that turned out for the recent skate-a-thon and the feedback we have had on the new design that the skate park will be well used, but that, unfortunately, is not enough for the grant-funding bodies."

Mr. Davies explained that what was needed was the formation of a club which could encourage new members and organise training sessions.

"If you look at successful grant bids in other areas, like Haverfordwest, you will see that there is a skateboard club connected to the project.

"What we need to have set up in Tenby is a club that can develop the use of the skate/wheeled play facilities.

"It may not guarantee us grant aid, but without the formation of a club, we have no chance at all of accessing these funds, which could mean a delay in the project.

"We know that the skater community have a lot of parental support; it just needs a group of them to come together to set up a proper club as soon as possible."

Mr. Davies added that the Friends and Town Council were more than happy to support and help advise on setting up a club.

"I am more than happy to talk this through with the skate, micro-scooter and BMX community and their parents too if they would like to contact me at Tenby Town Council offices in the De Valence either in person or on (01834) 842730," Mr. Davies added.