Dream skatepark opens in Birzebbuga
A dream for young people in Birzebbuga was realised yesterday with the official opening of a €300,000 skatepark through an initiative spearheaded by the President’s Trust Foundation and backed by the Ministry of Tourism and local businesses.
The project was proposed to the Trust in 2016 by Agenzija Zghazagh, which communicated the strong desire of young people to have a skatepark in the village which would provide them with a social and athletic outlet.
The Trust immediately set about working on the idea and through collaboration with various entities and businesses – which either donated funds or provided their services for free – drew up plans for an area that enables youngsters to practice and showcase their cycle riding and skateboarding skills.
President Marie-Louise Coleiro said: “I am delighted that different stakeholders came together, to work in synergy and to support this project, which means so much to young people in the area. One of the objectives of the President’s Trust Foundation is to give young people a voice and the skatepark is a perfect platform for them to express themselves in a social environment. Moreover, this project is once again, a celebration of effective collaboration.”
President’s Trust Foundation Director Sarah Bondin said: “The young people who will benefit from this project have been involved throughout, from designing the skatepark to inviting the local community to listen to them. They will also be responsible for its upkeep through a regulated steering committee.
“The skatepark represents much more than an activity area. It is a safe space where youngsters and youth workers will be able to engage and participate in life that takes place their local community.”
The skatepark, which has been developed on international standards, will be maintained by the Birzebbuga Local Council, while Agenzija Zghazagh will provide youth workers to assist with its upkeep. St Paul’s Bay residents have expressed their frustration on the social media on the amount of litter in their locality, which a resident describes as a scene found “at each corner”.
Photographs, which seem to have been taken last Sunday, showed waste material left on pavements in various parts of the locality, and also great amounts of waste bags that are not normally collected on that day.
The person who uploaded the photos said that, together with other residents, they have already organised various cleanups and unsuccessfully tried to improve the situation with educational campaigns.
While thanking the Cleansing Department which sent workers to clean the areas following the residents’ report, the persons stated that more enforcement is needed and that the culprits should be fined.