EVEN in the frozen grip of a recession, thousands of people have been flocking to Worthing enjoy the simple pleasures offered by the temporary ice rink in Worthing.
On Saturday, February 21, for two hours, the rink in Steyne Gardens will echo to the happy sounds of Herald readers enjoying free skating – winners of a competition organised by this paper and the Worthing Town Centre Initiative.
Income from the rink will cover the £80,000 cost, and there have been direct spin-off benefits to town centre businesses because of the influx of people.
The success of the rink is fairly and squarely down to the courage and tenacity of town centre manager Sharon Clarke and her team.
They saw the chance and went for it, and put the deal together in a matter of weeks. The Herald is proud to be part of it.
Now, Worthing Council says it is planning a "feasibility study" to see if a permanent site could be found for a skating rink.
That's great...but we have a message for the council.
After any amount of "feasibility studies", we still don't have a multiplex cinema.
Bits are falling off our inadequate indoor swimming pool and there are derelict redevelopment sites blotting the landscape.
It's not just taking years to get anything done. It's taking decades.
Sharon Clarke and her enterprising team have taken the risk and proved a rink can work.
The people, in their droves, have shown they will support it.
Our message to the council, on behalf of all of you out there, is simple and direct:
GET YOUR SKATES ON.
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