MALMESBURY Abbey Skate returns for its 10th anniversary event next week.

Hundreds of young people will be flocking to the 12th century Benedictine Abbey transformed into a skatepark by an army of volunteers.

This year’s skatepark festival includes the ramps, quarter-pipes, grinding boards and trick boxes that have proved so popular since 2009, and with this year’s event, there is a full programme of sessions on the ramps, as well as the café and drop in facilities.

On-line bookings are now open via https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/malmesburyabbey and, with as many as 600 youngsters taking part in sessions from 10am Wednesday, to 9.00pm Friday, demand is always high, and places are limited. The event culminates with a competition on the final evening.

The skatepark is run by volunteers in the Abbey congregation in partnership with charities Christian Surfers and Christian Skaters UK organisations.

Andrew Beebee, Children and Youth Minister at Malmesbury Abbey said: “The Skatepark is evolving every year and involving more and more young people in providing what is a great event for our community, working in partnership with Christian Surfers and Skaters UK.

“At the heart of the event is the message to the young people of Malmesbury that the Abbey is as much a building for them as it is for everyone, and that God and the church community loves them,”

Phil Williams, national director of Christian Skaters added: ”It’s a fantastic opportunity to partner with Malmesbury Abbey, to celebrate 10 years of this amazing event, and to provide a great facility to practically serve the communities of skateboarding that do not normally enter a church building, the partnership has developed over the years, and we are looking forward into a fantastic three-day Festival”