Revamp for Dherynia skate park

Dherynia’s skatepark, which opened in 2012, has just been revamped, Mayor Andros Karayiannis said on Wednesday.

The skatepark was originally created following a suggestion by a group of local teenagers, who sent a letter to the local municipal council detailing the benefits of the sport, Karayiannis told the Cyprus News Agency.

“The municipality turned to the Cyprus Sports Organisation who subsidised 85 per cent of the skatepark’s construction”.

The project cost around €50,000 but is continuously being upgraded with new ramps to serve the needs of fans of skateboarding, which according to the mayor is a very popular sport, not only among teenagers but also adults.

“Aside from children and teens, the park is also used by people over 25,” he said.

He further said that the skatepark has been equipped with energy-saving lights that stay on until midnight to allow skaters to practice until late.

Located close to the Anagennisis sports premises, the park also offers a playground and an outdoor gym, “offering healthy activities for the children and youth of Dherynia and the surrounding area,” he added.

Karayiannis also said that the municipal council approved a fund for the upgrade of the park as it was seen as urgent in the context of the park regeneration project active in the Dherynia municipality.

“Several parks are under reconstruction, due to the increased need arising in the area,” especially considering more and more couples are choosing Dherynia as the place where they will start families, he said.

Dherynia is one of the municipalities participating in the government scheme for the rejuvenation of remote, mountainous and disadvantaged areas, which offers housing incentives for young people to move to said areas.

According to Karayiannis, the most applications submitted by young people islandwide were for Dherynia.

“As long as young people choose to move and start families in our municipality, we as the local authority have the obligation to take care of the children by creating new parks and upgrading existing ones”.