A DEDICATED band of community minded people who refused to let their town’s £250,000 indoor skate park die are leaping for joy after people power helped them attain charitable status.

The move will put the voluntary body that runs the Malmesbury Skate Park on a firm footing by opening the doors for potential grants to help secure the future of the South West’s only indoor concrete facility of its kind.

Chairman of the recently formed Malmesbury Skate Park Group Matthew Wigley said: “Being granted this important status means we can now forge ahead and run the park as a serious concern, taking on all elements of this important community sports facility.”

The 230 square metre extension to the town’s Gloucester Road youth centre alongside the River Avon opened in 2013 after the project was in the pipeline for more than a decade.

But the following year the popular facility was seriously threatened as a result of Wiltshire Council cost cuts which saw the adjoining youth centre closed.

Mr Wigley said: “After the centre closed there was some uncertainty about the facilities and services still being available for Malmesbury residents.

“A small group of us decided to form a group to keep the park open and run it ourselves.”

He felt it would be a tragedy if the skate park was closed so shortly after it had opened.

Mr Wigley stressed that the group which pledged to keep the skate park alive was entirely voluntary.

He said: “We had to get organised and professional rather quickly. As with all organisations such as this, we have some steep financial commitments.”

With charitable status under their belts Mr Wigley said they were now keen to “take on the responsibility of keeping the doors open for the community and promoting healthy activity and interaction for all Malmesbury residents.”

He went on: “We have demonstrated that volunteers can with a little time and dedication come together to continue to do something positive for not only our town but also the wider group of visitors we have coming and skating the park.

“We are incredibly proud of getting to this point and we’d like to show that people power can rule.

“We can only create positive change with positive action. There’s a real buzz about what we’ve done.”

He added: “Of course we need ongoing support but this could serve as encouragement for other groups to stand up and do the same.”

The group is now producing T-shirts and stickers, will be holding a skateboarding competition in the summer and are staging an open day this Saturday from noon to 3pm.