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Renovate Donkey Common Skatepark

Refurbish Donkey Common Skatepark!

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£0 raised £10,000 to go

Come to the Birthday Bash & Plaza Fundraiser!

Join us at The Warehouse on Saturday 12th September, 12pm to 8pm, to celebrate two years at the indoor skatepark and raise money for the plaza. Expect live bands, DJs, a bar, food, games, skating and a Plaza Raffle towards our Donkey Common crowdfunding goal.

See full event details →

Donkey Common Skatepark

Donkey Common skatepark sits at the gateway to Mill Road, one of Cambridge's most vibrant streets. Built nearly 20 years ago, the park is in need of refurbishment.

Cam Skate are working with Cambridge City Council to explore options for improving this space.

  1. Why does Donkey Common skatepark need to be refurbished?
  2. Our proposed design: a skate plaza
  3. Other options considered
  4. How to make this happen
  5. Project timeline
Donkey Common skatepark location

Why does Donkey Common skatepark need to be refurbished?

The construction of this skatepark makes it difficult to use safely.

Rough tarmac surface at Donkey Common

Rough surface - The tarmac surface makes falls more likely and more dangerous.

Bumpy joins between ramp and ground

Bumpy joins - Uneven transitions between ramp and ground can cause sudden stops.

Slippery ramp material

Slippery material - The varnished ramp surface increases the risk of falls.

According to RoSPA guidance on skateboarding safety, "accidental falls due to loss of balance are the most common with about half of falls due to rough riding surface."

Additionally the outdated design makes this one of the most unpopular skateparks in the city:

  • The footprint of the park is too small to allow for more than one person to skate at once
  • The ramps are too big, which makes them unsuitable for beginners, and for a park of this size
  • The current installation looks clunky and dated, presenting an eye-sore
Donkey Common skatepark

Our proposed design: a skate plaza

Cam Skate, working with Cambridge City Council, considered three different approaches for this space. Based on feedback from councillors and the community, the available budget, and the fit with this central, city-centre location, the proposed design is a skate plaza.

Sat between Jesus Green skatepark, Trumpington skatepark and The Warehouse indoor skatepark, a plaza would be a central hub for skating in Cambridge. Its open layout fits seamlessly into the pedestrianised area at the gateway to Mill Road.

Skate Plaza

A street-style plaza with ledges, banks, and manual pads. This design feels like a public space while being primarily a skatepark.

Plaza-style parks are beginner-friendly and allow many skaters to use the space at once. They also suit the central, visible location at the gateway to Mill Road.

Outline concept produced by Cam Skate.

Estimated cost: £125,000

Pros

  • Largest skating area
  • Biggest potential for mixed-use (seating, stalls for fairs) - well suited to central location

Cons

  • Biggest expansion of footprint
  • Would require funding from community plus maximal use of grants
Skate plaza concept by Cam Skate

Click to view full outline concept document (PDF)

Born Skate Plaza, Barcelona

Image source: Born Skate Plaza, Barcelona

Other options considered

Two other designs were considered before the plaza was selected as the proposed approach. Click to expand the details.

Skatelite Mini Ramp — £30,000

A high-quality wooden mini ramp with Skatelite surface.

Example: Fowlmere mini ramp by Four One Four Skateparks.

Pros

  • Cheapest option
  • Can fit within existing footprint
  • A high quality outdoor mini ramp is a skate feature that Cambridge currently lacks
  • Good for skaters of all abilities
  • Surface likely to last 5 to 10 years

Cons

  • Will need eventual resurfacing
  • Blocks sightlines
  • Not an entirely new type of feature in Cambridge
Skatelite mini ramp - Fowlmere
Concrete Bowl — £110,000 + VAT

A purpose-built concrete bowl offering a unique skating experience. Concrete is extremely durable and requires minimal maintenance.

Bowls are popular with transition skaters and the growing roller skating community. Cambridge currently has no dedicated bowl.

Example: Heartsease Pool in Norwich by Betongpark.

Pros

  • Can fit within existing square footage of tarmac footprint
  • Increase sightlines across park if sunk or partially sunk into ground
  • Entirely new type of skate feature for Cambridge
  • Concrete is durable
  • Good for skaters of all abilities

Cons

  • Would require additional funding (but could likely be paid for from available grants)
Concrete bowl - Heartsease Pool, Norwich Concrete bowl - Heartsease Pool, Norwich - wider view

Image source: Betongpark

How to make this happen

Refurbishing Donkey Common skatepark requires collaboration between the skating community, Cambridge City Council, and potential funders.

What we have:

  • Council support for and funding committed to the project
  • An outline design, created with the community — skatepark companies will pitch designs that match the principles of this plan as part of the tender process
  • The knowledge and experience to run the tender process ourselves, which will be more time-efficient and retain more control for the eventual users of the skatepark

What we need:

  • Funding from grants, crowdfunding, and local businesses
  • Continued support from the council to manage the construction phase of the project

The plaza concept is designed to flex with the funding raised — a meaningful build can be delivered for around £100,000, with the full £125,000 design unlocking the largest skating area and the broadest mixed-use potential.

Cambridge skaters celebrating the PCC Youth Fund grant

Funding progress towards the £125,000 plaza

£0 £100,000 (flex target) £125,000
  • Committed by Cambridge City Council — £25,000 + VAT
  • Already raised by the community — £2,5001
  • Thalia WB Community Fund (application in progress) — £50,000
  • Crowdfunder + Sport England match (planned) — up to £20,000

Striped segments are funding sources that are in progress and not yet confirmed.

Want to get involved or share your views on the project? Get in touch at hello@cam-skate.co.uk

Read our Conflict of Interest Policy, Access Statement, and Equal Opportunities Policy.

Project timeline

Our planned route to a refurbished skatepark. We'll tick off each milestone as it happens — this is our best estimate, and the plan may shift as funding and council decisions land.

Supporting documentation

Letters of support and other documents relating to the Donkey Common skatepark campaign.

First page of the Donkey Common skatepark petition

Petition: refurbish Donkey Common skatepark

Around 450 people signed this petition calling on Cambridge City Council to refurbish the Donkey Common skatepark. Signatures were gathered by Cam Skate at the Mill Road Winter Fair in December 2022.

First page of Cambridge City Council's maintenance commitment letter

Letter of commitment: Cambridge City Council

Joe Notarnicola, Recreation Technical Officer at Cambridge City Council, confirms the Council will take full responsibility for future maintenance of the Donkey Common skatepark for at least 10 years, and will invest a further £25,000 of ringfenced funds towards creating a new skating area on the site.

First page of Thomas Keady's letter of support

Letter of support: Thomas Keady, Red Balloon Learning Centre

Thomas Keady, Lead Youth Worker at Red Balloon Learning Centre Cambridge, writes in support of the Donkey Common skatepark redevelopment. He describes the transformative impact skating has had on his SEND students and the value a new, accessible outdoor park in the heart of Cambridge would bring to young people and families.

First page of PC Beatrice Ley's letter of support

Letter of support: PC Beatrice Ley, Cambridgeshire Constabulary

PC Beatrice Ley, Neighbourhood officer for Cambridge City Centre and West, writes in support of renovations to the Donkey Common and Jesus Green skateparks. She sets out how pro-social use of these spaces — supported by better lighting, CCTV and skater consultation throughout planning — would help reduce anti-social behaviour in the area.

First page of GLL / Parkside Pools & Gym's letter of support

Letter of support: Parkside Pools & Gym (GLL)

Steven Rayment (General Manager) and Daryl Emes (Partnership Manager) of GLL, which runs the neighbouring Parkside Pools & Gym on behalf of Cambridge City Council, write in support of the refurbishment. They recognise the role accessible recreational facilities play in active, healthy lifestyles, note that the current park's layout and surface limit accessibility and safe participation, and highlight how Donkey Common's city-centre location next to Parkside makes it ideally placed to complement Cambridge's wider leisure offer.

Notes

1 Darryl Preston - the Police & Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire - awarded the Donkey Common project £3,500 from the PCC Youth Fund. Unfortunately it was not possible to spend the money in time and the grant was returned.