Girls encouraged to try out skateboarding at weekly session in Jersey's North Quay

A weekly session that's encouraging more girls to try out skateboarding in Jersey's North Quay has been a massive success, according to an island skateboarding group.

It's grown in popularity since starting in May, with some youngsters returning week after week every Tuesday - it's hoped their interest in the sport will continue into the future.

Chairperson of Skateboard Jersey, Philip Minty, says it was important to give girls the space to try out the sport in a safe environment.

He says: "We ran it as a girls session so the girls could have some ownership, and get over the intimidation that a lot of young people feel when they go to a skatepark".

Speaking about the sport, Jasmine Stroyan, who only started it during the summer, says it's taught her the importance of trying new things and being okay with failing and trying again.

The girls attending range in ages, but among the youngest trying it out are twins Starla and Aquila Mutero who only turned three in July.

Both are already comfortable on a board, something their dad, Thanda, believes has been helped by the sessions.

He says: "I like it because you can watch other girls do it which means that you don't have to look at me and go 'that's just my dad doing it'.

"When it's other girls, they love it because it pushes them a bit more and makes them think 'oh well, if they're doing it, I can do it'."

These girls are Jersey's next generation of skateboarders and will grow up having access to the island's state of the art park in Les Quennevais.

It's been massively popular since it opened and there are hopes it will lead to more skateboarding facilities on the island.

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