AYRSHIRE COAST ROLLERS
“Skating down the coast… there’s no feeling like it.”
Gill Sherry
When Cheyvonne Cassidy first started roller skating in May this year she never dreamt she would soon be joined by scores of others as part of a brand-new skating community.
Having previously belonged to the motorbike community, she wanted to recreate that bond that saw like-minded people enjoying the same thing while looking out for each other.
“Bikers look out for bikers, no matter what. You would always get a nod, and it was such a lovely community. I just wanted to recreate that but in roller skating.”
Having received a few curious looks whilst skating up and down the North Ayrshire coast on her own, Cheyvonne set up the Facebook group, Ayrshire Coast Rollers, in June.
“I’m quite passionate about community and getting communities together so I made this page to see if anyone else would be interested in joining. The response I got was overwhelming!”
The group now has over 2,000 followers with 30-40 people regularly joining Cheyvonne for pre-arranged meet-ups. These take place all along from the coast from North to South Ayrshire including Largs, Ardrossan, Irvine, Troon, Prestwick and Ayr.
Weather permitting, the group meets once a week (sometimes twice in summertime) with sessions lasting up to two hours, including an optional wee social at the end. Those of any age and ability are welcome and there is no cost involved.
“It’s a casual meet-up,” Cheyvonne confirms. “If you’ve got a pair of skates, just turn up. We do ask that anybody under the age of 18 is accompanied by an adult at all times throughout the skate. We get families coming along, which is always so nice to see. I love it when we have families along.”
The group now consists of regular attendees as well as newcomers, with a good mix of age and ability and from a wide range of backgrounds.
“We had a lot of people saying they hadn’t skated for 30 or 40 years, but they still had their skates up in the loft… so we’ve got some proper vintage skates! We also had people who wanted to come along but were just a wee bit too nervous, so they went for lessons and then came out with us.”
For Cheyvonne, it’s important that people know the group isn’t full of professional skaters, so they feel comfortable joining in and able to enjoy both the activity and the company. Not forgetting the fitness benefits!
“Skating burns the equivalent amount of calories as running, but it’s better on your joints, so for being fit and active, it’s great. And if it’s a nice day, putting on your skates and just skating down the coast… there’s no feeling like it. It’s amazing.”
From a solo skate in her hometown to group meet-ups across the whole county, Cheyvonne is proud of how far this new initiative has come in such a short space of time.
“I like how it brings people together,” she says. “It gets people out of the house, socialising and keeping fit and active. It also creates a community of people so they feel that they belong.”
If you’re interested in joining in, follow Ayrshire Coast Rollers on Facebook for details of future events.
