Amy Cooper’s childhood home in Sheffield had an ‘open door’ to local youngsters who needed shelter and support. When her father Mick died of leukemia in 2012, his family were determined to continue his ethos of caring for disadvantaged young people. OnBoard skatepark is his legacy.

Situated in the deprived Heeley area south of the city centre, OnBoard is a fun, friendly and supportive 8,000 sq ft facility which is home to a variety of learning and enrichment programmes for vulnerable and disadvantaged children.

On their programmes, skateboarding, scootering, BMXing, roller blading and graffiti combine with learning skills such as bike maintenance, joinery, woodwork, engineering, food hygiene, art and support with GCSE English and maths.

Most important of all are the trusting relationships between skaters and seven staff, which includes the strong presence of Mick’s widow and Amy’s mum, Jan - known by all as ‘granny’.

One particular learning programme, funded by the Youth Endowment Fund, offers alternative provision for 16 of the most vulnerable children who are referred through local Youth Offending Teams or who are struggling in mainstream schools.

This programme will be supported by Levelling the Playing Field with staff benefiting from mentoring training and support - and participants’ outcome data forming part of our nationwide evidence base of ‘best practice’ that will feed into future policy and practice.

“It works so well because it’s very holistic and child-led,” says OnBoard’s co-founder Amy. “Sport is the hook, and although they won’t be dropping in off the big ramps straight away, we make sure they get a sense of achievement within that first session.

“That’s a way to kickstart that bond in which a trusted adult mentor gives them a sense of belonging. Whether that’s here at OnBoard or when our staff visit them at home or an outdoor skatepark elsewhere in Sheffield, we deliver that sense of security, being that consistent person in their life. It’s very much a youth work-based format.”

OnBoard’s youth workers and mentors are all semi-professional, sponsored riders. They are embedded in the sport and in the OnBoard ‘family’, so their investment in the participants is deep and the bonds they form are long-lasting.

Young riders on the alternative provision programme can come and go as they please at OnBoard (although other riders pay for public sessions). During the Covid-19 pandemic, they have continued to come in for one-to-one mentoring catch-ups.

They also receive Facetime 'wellbeing calls’ with their mentor and are set challenges via WhatsApp. Staff took skateboards and scooters to participants’ homes if they were isolating to enable them to practise tricks. “They’ve really respected the fact they have been entrusted with this equipment and attendance has been really, really good,” says Amy.

OnBoard’s youth workers and mentors use a wellbeing tracker to monitor mentees’ progress in terms of their mental health, incidents at home, whether they’re clean, fed and well, areas of concern and their educational attainments.

Children on the programme typically face multiple issues, including poverty, violence, child exploitation, drug abuse, family breakdown and involvement in crime.

One of OnBoard’s many success stories in helping young people address these concerns is 17-year-old Steven*. He had a history of offending and was rarely in school. Amy admits he “would regularly wreck the place” when he first attended.

“We told him, ‘We’re not giving up!’ and he had nowhere else to go anyway,” Amy explains. “He has been on a real journey with us over the last four years. He now volunteers at Devonshire Green skate park and has a job alongside doing a sports coaching qualification at Doncaster College. Soon, he’s going to make the most incredible mentor for us working with young people on the programme.”

Participants on the alternative provision programme blend in with youngsters on other projects and skaters in open sessions. “The atmosphere is brilliant,” beams Amy. “They encourage each other and fist bump at the top of the ramps.”

South Yorkshire Police Neighbourhood Team say OnBoard’s work “has reduced anti-social behaviour and has supported us with some of the hardest to reach youngsters” while a local Youth Justice Service spokesman said: “You are helping more than you’ll ever know. The change is beyond belief.”

OnBoard’s work is having a huge impact on disadvantaged children in Sheffield, is an asset to Levelling the Playing Field, and most of all, is a fitting tribute to Amy’s father Mick.


*Name changed to protect anonymity