Since Skate Parlour opened its doors on the 12th April, there’s been clips on clips of all kinds coming from inside the walls of the UK’s first and only female-owned skatepark. From the ladies who brought Leicester Mama Skate CIC, a community based group supporting the local skate scene in the city through skating, art and more, Yusra Alageli and Lily Clawson-Chan’s latest venture brings Leicester its only indoor park.
This is something that has been missing since 2018, when Boardroom and Broom Skateparks (host of several of our birthday jams, including the very first one) closed😢. Clearly the lack of indoor facility has been felt over the last 2/3 years – as only a few weeks in the park has had a huge response, with plenty of skaters from near and far coming to test it out for themselves. To hear Yusra and Lily talk about that gap they felt they needed to refill in the scene for themselves, and how they want to use Skate Parlour to create open and inclusive spaces for skaters of all kinds, check out their interview in The Skateboarder’s Companion here.
Skate Parlour has already hosted its very first girl’s night, and isn’t planning to stop there. The park has dedicated sessions for all kinds of wheels, after school club, beginner sessions, and then some – so there’s definitely something for everyone. This is part of Skate Parlour’s strong community ethos in action, with Yusra and Lily aiming to use the park to break down barriers to skating while continuing to foster a sense of togetherness through continuation of Mama Skate clinics, workshops, and community events.
Skate Parlour, as a physical skatepark has only been open a matter of weeks, but it already feels as though it has won the heart of Leicester’s skate scene. We love that Yusra and Lily have been able to take the spirit of Mama Skate CIC, and build on it to bring joy to the city and beyond – in their own words, ‘we are not just a skatepark.’
Take a look at Skate Parlour’s website and Instagram for further info and up-to-date news and events:
girlskateuk.com 