A COLEHILL mum has spoken of her pride after her 11-year-old son petitioned the district council for a new skate park.

Young Spencer Naylor, who goes to St Michael’s School, passed the petition around to friends and gathered 237 signatures.

And while the council’s community committee has now found that the project cannot currently be provided in the area, there may yet be hope for the future.

Spencer’s mum Karen, of New Merrifield, said: “I’m very proud of him for working so hard.

“He wanted to do something to make Wimborne a more exciting place for children, and that’s what he did.”

Spencer, who rides a scooter, put up the petition in his school towards the end of last year complete with a photograph of Blandford Skate Park.

He was then invited to the council meeting to discuss the possibility of a skate park.

Although councillors told the youngster that it’s not possible to spend so much on a new facility, funding has been agreed to replace the equipment at Redcotts in Wimborne.

A group of local churches are also hoping to develop an indoor skate park in Wimborne, and work is currently underway to find a suitable building for the facility.

Karen said: “We do have to say a big thank-you to the head of St Michael’s, Mr Nation.

“He really helped out and was happy to support Spencer.

“He even told the pupils all about the petition in an assembly, so he was really kind.”

A report published by the council “commended” the schoolboy’s hard work with setting up the petition and getting the signatures, but adds: “It is nevertheless the reality that the delivery of facilities of this kind will be dependent upon the availability of suitable land and funding, both of which are in short supply at this time.”