A TEENAGER is organising a skate jam dedicated to improving facilities in Upton.

Alex Stanzel, a Bournemouth and Poole College student, wants to raise funds for the town’s ramp, located in Lytchett Way.

And after months of planning, Upton Mini Madness is all set to take place on Saturday, August 30 from noon.

The 17-year-old said: “There’s a big metal ramp there, but it needs some work.

“We’re been painting it already, so by the time of the jam, it will have a sea theme – there will be sharks and shipwrecks and things like that on it. On the day itself, skateboarders, BMXers and scooter riders will all be competing, so it should be really good.”

Anyone wishing to participate is asked to pay £3, although the event is free for those wishing to watch from the sidelines.

“Afterwards, all the money will go towards something everyone wants as a group,” Alex said.

“Everyone who uses the ramp will sit down together to come up with the best thing to spend it on. The jam is for local people, so we want local people to decide how the money should be used.”

Initially, Alex and his friends had hoped that the event would be held in July, but this was cancelled due to repairs needed at the ramp.

He said: “We’ve been looking into doing this since April or May, and we’d organised the day, but the ramp needed welding so we had to do that first.

“It’s a really, really old ramp as it’s one of the first built in this area, so it needed a bit of work.”

The student said anyone wanting to come along on the day is welcome.

“It’s a friendly crowd – everyone knows each other, so it’ll be a fun day,” he said.

“We want to make sure the ramp can be used and enjoyed by future generations.”

For more information, visit facebook/pages/upton-mini-maddness.