A campaign to give a run-down skate park a much-needed facelift and offer transformative learning opportunities to youngsters has edged closer to reality.

Swanley Skate Park has been awarded £150,000 by the National Lottery Community fund for its renovation project.

Former Apprentice star JD O'Brien has helped secure £150,000 for the new skate park

Skaters have long called for the facilities at St Mary's Rec to be upgraded following safety concerns over the park's rough tarmac and tired old ramps.

Led by businessman and former Apprentice contestant JD O’Brien and his business Concrete Wave CIC, the funding will help benefit hundreds of youngsters locally.

The Tonbridge resident wants to build a new and improved park complete with a new mini ramp, facilities for wheelchair users and learning workshops for children.

On securing the National Lottery funding, he said: "It is incredible. We set out with a goal of over £200,000 which was very lofty for this kind of thing at the moment with everything happening in the world.

"So to get this, to give us the real basis to push on and smash the kind of goal for the fundraising, it is amazing.

"£150,000 goes a long long way towards getting this done so it's the moment where the bigger project can really kick on now."

So far nearly £50,000 has been staked by Kent County Council and Swanley Town Council towards the project, bringing the total raised so far to just over £200,000.

The town council have also submitted a grant application to Sevenoaks District Council for an additional £100,000.

JD says the project would see increased footfall to Swanley and has called on local businesses to back the project and help push it "over the line".

He added: "A big cheque like this goes a long way towards engaging more people that this really is happening and getting on board and helping us."

The dad-of-three said his passion for the project stemmed from young users of the park like nine-year-old Colin Milek, who despite being born with a missing forearm has gone on to learn tricks and make news friends.

JD added: "This is a time when we should be getting these kids, encouraging them to come down, enjoy the park, play with their friends, socialise and get back out in the world.

"Lets face it, we've all had a rubbish time and if this skate park can help a few kids regain a bit of enthusiasm and positivity then we've done our job."

Another crucial component to JD's plans is to run skate workshops on site where children and teens can learn how to make boards and get involved with volunteering.

He hopes to team up with a charitable organisation running hands-on outreach projects based around the sport.

Brent Lewis, chief executive of FAR Skate Foundation, based in Whitstable, said sales for boards have gone up 650% since lockdown, buoyed by the Olympics.

The director of Skateboarding GB said: "Since the Olympics with Sky Brown doing really well and Bombette [Martin] doing really, we've had for us personally at our foundation about 100 extra people a week wanting to take up skateboarding.

"So we've got about 400 people a week we teach skateboarding. So it's gone up loads and they've been really inspired by skateboarding."

Brent added the skate community was a safe place for kids where they can "purely be themselves".

"That positivity and that freedom to be creative is what brings skateboarding and young people together," he added.

"If you've got a skateboard regardless of background, culture or ability, you can just be part of the scene. It is an amazingly inclusive sport."

Sevenoaks MP Laura Trott was in attendance yesterday at an event held at the skate park to celebrate funding being secured.

"It's just such fantastic news and you can see for yourself what a difference this will make to the local community, the local kids," she said.

"There are so many people here today who have been so involved in helping local children, local schools and businesses affected by this so we can see how it will make a massive impact for the whole community."

She added: "It is so exciting, it is so invigorating, such a group of exciting, innovative people. I have huge thanks to JD for all he has done to bring this together as well."

Members of the public and corporations are invited to support the initiative via the official platform here.

For more information on the project and details of future fundraising activities, click here.

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