A grant of £50,000 has been awarded by the Manx Lottery Trust to help fund a state-of-the-art outdoor skate park at Poulsom Park, in Castletown.

Castletown Commissioners will use the funding to replace the existing run-down facility in Poulsom Park, Castletown, with an inclusive riding park that has been designed for use by skateboarders and BMX riders, as well as specially designed wheelchairs.

The free-to-use riding facility encompasses the first phase of the Poulsom Park regeneration project, with subsequent phases including the creation of an access pathway, fencing, benches, tables and lighting for all year round use.

Commissioner Jimmy Cubbon said: ’In comparison to other parts of the island, Castletown and the south have a lack of quality outdoor recreational and leisure facilities for young people, outside of the mainstream sports facilities such as AstroTurf and the swimming pool.

’It needs free-to-use, safe and accessible play areas, which is why we are so grateful to Manx Lottery Trust for its support of this project.’

He added: ’The arrival of the new facility will benefit the south of the island enormously and provide young people with the opportunity to be active and social, improving the physical and mental wellbeing of our community.

’Braddan and Ramsey skate parks have proved very successful so we are really excited to get this project up and running.’

Manx Lottery Trust chairman Sarah Kelly said: ’The current facility in Poulsom Park is old and almost obsolete, so the need for something new was quite clear.

’We are sure that the facility will be of great benefit to the local community and look forward to seeing the finished product.’

The regeneration of Poulsom Park is supported by the police, the government’s Manx Sport and Recreation agency and the Department of Education, Sport and Culture.

The Manx Lottery Trust is a delegated partner of the Big Lottery Fund, responsible for awarding Lottery grants to community projects in the Isle of Man.

To find out more about the Manx Lottery Trust visit http://www.mlt.org.im