AUSTRALIA
Loaded with donated skateboards, T-shirts, hats and other gear, Sunshine Coast skateboarder Mat "Chiggy" Chigwidden rolled into the South Burnett region to run a workshop for kids from Cherbourg and Murgon.
After previously visiting the Indigenous community of Cherbourg to hold a skating lesson Mr Chigwidden, 27, said he wanted to do more to help kids get involved in skateboarding. The experienced skater and teacher reached out to the community for donations to make sure every child who wanted to would have the opportunity to have a skate.
A shout out for donations from his skateboarding business' Facebook page reached about 50,000 people and he said the response from the community was amazing.
"We had people come together from all around the country to donate boards and money," he said.
The kids were clearly hyped with excitement, with one boy shouting "it's awesome," after having a first skate down the ramp.
"I love skateboarding because I can skate with my family," another said.
South Burnett Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff said the visit was a welcome opportunity to keep young people occupied and entertained in a region where youth crime was dominating the media. [Council have] had lots of meetings and things trying to work out some solutions and part of that is to get some activities because the kids are bored, particularly over the holidays, and so this is a good outcome."
Andrew Moore, who helped organise the event, said skateboarding gave people a skill that they can work on, adding that "it's outdoors, it's healthy … there's a lot of fear barriers that you break when skateboarding".
"Hopefully a few of them will get the bug and get into their skating."
Mr Moore worked with the community centre at Cherbourg, and community groups the South Burnett CTC and the Murgon PCYC to organise the event. The workshop was held in nearby Murgon because the skate park at Cherbourg was in need of an upgrade. Mr Chigwidden and Mr Moore hoped their work with the community would result in a fundraiser to help improve the park.
"We went out there and had a bit of a skate on it …. it's not unrepairable but needs a bit of love," Mr Moore said. "Hopefully after today it gains a bit of momentum and we can work with some of the locals to fix that up."
Mr Chigwidden said the sport was riding a new wave of enthusiasm across the world, with skateboarding to make its Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games. He said every child, no matter their age, gender or background should have a chance to learn to skate and he hoped to keep running workshops in the community.
"We're going to try and make it a bit more of a regular thing and try and keep the kids stoked on skateboarding," he said.
Mr Chigwidden said it was rewarding to see the difference skateboarding could make, especially in small towns like Cherbourg and Murgon.
"The first time I came out here, I probably spent three or four hours out here and the kids were playing football on concrete," he said. "By the end of it, they were skating and flying off ramps … they're pretty capable of skateboarding that's for sure and I think a little bit of guidance will go a long way.
By Jess Lodge
10 July 2018
