SKATE park secretary Tina Wiles is celebrating today, after securing funding for a six-week trip so see how American fans of the sport keep safe.The trip to Santa Monica, California to work with the Skatepark Association of the United States, will be paid for by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

By Tracey Sparling

SKATE park secretary Tina Wiles is celebrating today, after securing funding for a six-week trip so see how American fans of the sport keep safe.

The trip to Santa Monica, California to work with the Skatepark Association of the United States, will be paid for by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

The UK organisation wants to reward her three-year dedication to providing a skate park for youngsters in Ipswich, and her launch of the Skatepark Association of the UK to offer practical advice and promote safe facilities.

Mrs Wiles said: "California is the skateboarding capital of the world and their skate park facilities are the best, biggest and safest in the world.

"I will be finding out why these parks are so successful, the promotion of the sports, the provision of facilities, building techniques and safety.

"I will also attend the X games in Philadelphia and the annual skate park builders meeting."

She is due to fly out to the United States in August or September.

Meanwhile the park at Stoke Bridge is currently being built and will open in March, where safety will be a key priority.

As the Evening Star reported on Saturday, more young skateboarders are getting injured as they try new tricks. On Wednesday last week , three teenage boys had to be admitted to Ipswich Hospital with broken forearms.

Tina stressed that parents should not see the park as a supervised venue, because although older members are trained in first aid, they will be there on a voluntary basis.