MP puts weight behind teens’ skate park plans
AN ambitious scheme conceived by two Witchford teenagers to bring a raft of youth facilities to the village has won the backing of MP Jim Paice. The South-East Cambridgeshire MP visited 15-year-old Steven Shipp and Josh Oddi, 13, to offer advice and supp
AN ambitious scheme conceived by two Witchford teenagers to bring a raft of youth facilities to the village has won the backing of MP Jim Paice.
The South-East Cambridgeshire MP visited 15-year-old Steven Shipp and Josh Oddi, 13, to offer advice and support on the pair's plans to build a skate park, internet cafe and venue in the grounds of their school, Witchford Village College.
"I was very impressed - they are obviously very determined," Mr Paice said.
"I gave them some advice about trying to firm up their proposals and what the scheme is going to cost and I hope they can get the support and advice they need from adults to realise the project."
Mr Paice agreed with Josh and Steven that there are not enough facilities for youngsters in East Cambridgeshire.
"It's very easy to say 'we didn't have these things in our day', but young people need places to gather because that's the style of their socialising today; I think we all have an obligation to fulfil that need, to keep them occupied in a constructive way."
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Josh said the experience had been a useful one.
"It was great," he said.
"We explained how the project was going and he said he would support us the whole way."
Josh said the project has come across a difficulty because the land on which they had planned to build the facility has been earmarked for other uses.
"We are still determined, though," he said, adding that the pair are holding a committee meeting on November 29 to drum up support for the plans.
