THE sounds of skateboards and scooters will echo around Malmesbury Abbey later this month.

The Malmesbury Abbey Skate festival returns for its eighth year and will see the church gets transformed into a skatepark once again.

Last year the Abbey played host to more than 600 youngsters for the skating event and organiser Rev John Monaghan hopes it’ll be even better this time around.

He said: “Operationally we have become better at organising the whole event, from the huge pool of volunteers needed to lay the floor, build the ramps, cook for the thirty volunteers over the three days, provide accommodation, tickets, lanyards, banners and even t-shirts and hoodies.

“We've increased our presence through Facebook, twitter and our website, and we've moved our ticketing to an online company.

“We are always looking for creative ways to engage with the children and young people during the week. On some years we have organised workshops which included everything from hula-hoop to music, to arts and crafts.

“We have also had in the past some live music from teenagers in the evening.”

With hundreds of children expected to descend on the Abbey, Rev Monaghan insists the success of the event is not in the number of heads through the door.

He said: “It's been amazing seeing the journey that some of the young people have been on over the past seven years of running Abbey Skate.

“Many of them who arrived on the first year as young teenagers, are now helping out as part of the volunteer team, and it's amazing to see the positive role models that they are becoming to the younger teenagers and children.

“Whilst the numbers attending and press coverage are encouraging, we don't set out to measure our success in that way.

“Success for us is about the small conversations with teenagers that make a big difference in their lives; it's about making a connection so that when we see them in town we can smile and say hi.”

Rev Monaghan’s 10-year-old son, Philip Monaghan, said about Abbey Skate: “I was a bit nervous the first time I went into Abbey Skate, I hadn't had much experience on my scooter, and I was worried about the older children and teenagers bumping into me or showing off.

“However each time I go back, I am surprised at how kind and encouraging everyone is, especially the older children and teenagers.

“Last year, I was taught by another boy who was a few years older than me, how to go down the quarter pipe for the first time. It was scary at first, but with his encouragement I can do it every time now.

“It's a really friendly environment.”

Malmesbury Abbey Skate 2016 runs from February 17-19 during half term. Visit malmesburyabbey.com/skate for more information.

Tickets are available for youngsters across age ranges, but are selling fast.
To get hold of tickets visit ticketsource.co.uk/malmesburyabbey