Newquay's 'injury free' skatepark crowdfunding for a new home in Roche

The only skatepark in the UK which offers a near 'injury free' experience for new skaters is crowdfunding for a new home in Cornwall.

TR7 had a unique harness and rope system so beginners could start skateboarding with fewer risks of being hurt.

Co-founder Martina Piquard says having the harness "it helps people to boost their confidence not have that risk of falling and getting injured in trying skateboarding"

"It's attracted so many different people now from five years old up to 60 years old to give it a go."

However after their tenancy in Newquay came to an end the skate company needed to find a new home, and are hoping to build a bigger and better indoor park in Roche.

Martina says Cornwall is full of "really talented" skaters and at the moment there's only one indoor facility.

"The skateboarding scene is massive and we just want to have a home for everyone to be able to come when it's raining or whether the weather is super windy and they can't carry the activities outside. It's that consistency that will get them up to the level that they want to. If if someone wants to pursue a career in skateboarding."

Lola Stark was just four years old when she started skateboarding with the help of TR7.

The now six year old says she cannot wait for it to reopen in a new location.

"I'm looking forward it because it's going to be a little bit bigger so there's more room for us to do more tricks."

Parent Luke Hart says learning to skate with the TR7 team did wonders for his son Jackson's confidence.

"He would come to this skate park [concrete waves] and not go skating because he saw a couple of other kids being good. And now he's probably one of the best kids his age because TR7 bringing that out of him."

Father and son Alex and Fred Waldron say they really miss the "friendship group" that came from skating at Tr7.

Alex says "You're skating in a safer space, and you're constantly getting tuition from the professionals."

Jessie May has been a longboard skater for many years but started going to the old TR7 park when she wanted to learn how to skate on ramps.

She says it's "hugely important, and especially through the winter" to have an indoor skate park.

"For the size of Cornwall and the amount of skaters that are in Cornwall, we only have one indoor skate park, which is a really small amount in comparison to how many people would use them."

Tr7 need to raise a minimum of £30,000 to lease the land for the new skate park but have a final target £90,000 to full-fill all their ambitions for the new home.

They say they "know it is a very high number" but completing all their plans in one go will avoid it costing more in the long term.

The team were successful using crowdfunding to pay for much of their initial startup costs in 2020.

This time they have secured match funding from Sports England, Devon and Cornwall Police and Cornwall Council if they hit that minimum £30,000 target before the end of July 2023.