Cadbury Heath Golf Course & Skate Park.
On my first visit to Cadbury Heath, I discovered the approved plans to convert the existing ‘pitch and putt’ golf course on the outskirts of Cadbury Heath into a golf course, skate park and allotments. There was some resistance to the plans as residents were concerned that adding a skate park could encourage anti-social behaviour.
Warmley Pitch & Putt
I was concerned that there weren’t many amenities in Cadbury Heath for the younger generations, and so decided to research whether or not skate parks do in fact increase anti-social behaviour. My research led me to an undated article on the Dorset Police web site which stated: ‘The number of reports of anti-social behaviour in Dorchester has fallen by 19% since the completion of a public skate park in April 2009, and in the area where the skate park is located the reduction is even more significant at 33%.’ It was this article which gave me the initial reassurance I needed to pursue the issue.
I then decided to speak to skaters to get their thoughts and opinions. I started by paying a visit to Campus Skate park in Bristol which describes itself as: ‘A quality indoor place for skateboarding and a social hub for the skate scene whilst also providing a much needed independent youth work project to the young people of Bristol, using skate park based activities as the medium of engagement.’ This seemed especially relevant to the situation in Cadbury Heath, as it also appeared to suggest that skate parks and skate communities can create a positive impact on the people who use them and the area itself.
During my visit, I managed to speak to Tim Nokes, the owner & operator of Campus skate park. He said that he thought most places had come to see skate parks as being just as positive as any other leisure or sporting centre. He also stated that if a skate park is in full view of the public and is loved by its user group, it will police itself.
“I’m really surprised that you’re getting a negative reaction.” - Tim Nokes.
Through Facebook, I found the ‘Cadbury Heath Skate park’ page, which had 179 likes, with the most popular age group being 13-24 years old. I contacted Dan Lacey, the man behind the campaign for Cadbury Heath skate park and the group on Facebook. I explained my project and that I wanted to produce a poster that could put the minds of those concerned at ease. He agreed to post my questions onto the Facebook group for the members to answer should they wish. The questions:
• Introduce yourself (Name, nickname, age, family, any pets, etc.)
• What are you studying/what is your job? • Are you involved with any charities? (Include details)
• What was the last good deed you did for somebody?
• Who bought you your first board? • What do your older relatives think about • •
•
you skating? Do they support you? If so, how? Can you tell me about the values held within the skate community? Can you tell me about a time you have witnessed a skater/group of skaters create a positive impact on a community (i.e. Discouraging anti-social behaviour, organising community events, etc.)? Is there anything else you would like to add?
The answers I got were mixed, but there was one thing kept popping up; people in the skate community support each other and like to help people out. For inclusion on the poster, I picked the four most suitable quotes from the answers given which focussed on the skate community and how each person’s family support them as skaters. I felt that these quotations would be most effective in putting concerned residents’ minds at rest. Alongside these quotes, there are quotes from Tim Nokes, and a section of the poster which invites the audience to attend the next ‘Friends of Warmley Golf Course’ planning meeting.
On another visit to Cadbury Heath, I stumbled across a group of kids playing on scooters and BMX on the street. I noticed they were using make-shift ramps made of concrete blocks & wood. I was eager to speak to them to see if they knew anything about the skate park and what they thought about it, but was a little nervous about approaching a group of quite small children as I wasn’t sure how they (or their parents, who were inside) would react. Turns out I had nothing to worry about; they were very friendly, and one even brought out a chair for me to sit on. They were all aware of the skate park plans and were eager for it to be built as they felt the nearest skate park was too far away and the best they could do in the meantime was to create their own small ramps on the pavement.
“If we had the skate park now, we wouldn’t be doing this here.” - Aaron
When designing the poster, I decided to keep it quite simple so as to create a bold aesthetic. I looked at some of the colours I could see at my local skate park and noticed many bright colours. I toyed around with the idea of including shapes from the skate park into my design, and also wanted to portray a sense of optimism and friendliness. With this in mind, I decided that yellow was the most appropriate colour, and to include an inclining yellow shape within the poster which reflects both the angles of skate ramps and progress. The typeface used within the poster and this publication is Berthold Akzidenz Grotesk. I chose this typeface as it is very plain and clear to read at all sizes. The type is a very dark grey/blue colour, inspired by colours I saw at Dean Lane skate park. The finished double-sided gatefold poster has been printed on A2 matte white paper. I chose a reasonably thick stock for increased durability.
After several days of rain, I took the opportunity of a dry day to put my poster to work. I started by displaying it on the walls of the unused golf shop hut to attract the attention of passers by, as it is located along the main path. During the time I was there, nobody played golf which was a shame and only a handful of people walked past during the hour I was there; some of these people even walked out of their way to avoid walking directly past me. Nobody stopped to read the poster.
I then decided to place the poster in an area that isn’t used as an access route, as I thought one of the issues with displaying the poster on the golf course was that people didn’t want to stop. I also wanted to put it somewhere which meant wouldn’t have to loiter in such an obvious fashion, so that people wouldn’t be worried to approach. I put the folded poster on the counter of Juice Community Project and waited. Two of the staff spoke to me and looked at the folded poster, but did not unfold it to its full A2 size. They both said they liked the idea and design. Nobody else came into the building whilst the poster was on the counter.
On all of my visits to Cadbury Heath, at all times of day, it has never been a busy place. People are few and far between, and this hindered the success of the poster. I feel that if I could leave the poster behind, it may be more successful, as residents seemed to be reluctant to approach the poster or sometimes even walk past whilst I was nearby. I may leave the poster up on the side of the golf shop once I have it back from assessment, although it will be almost impossible to monitor its success once left unattended.