Wednesday 5 March 2014

- PLEASE HELP US RUN MORE EFFECTIVELY -

After almost a year of heavy campaigning we are now desperately low on funds
and are in fact relying on our overdraft facilities.

Any small donation can help us with running costs such as:
web hosting, travel expenses, phone/internet bills and more.

Your donation can also go towards helping us spread awareness of our cause across London, particularly through flyers, posters and graffiti (in legal spots):

- SPRAY PAINT -
Just £3 can buy 1 can of spray paint



- PRINTING -
Just £5 gets us 400 mini flyers to distribute





To donate, please click button below to be directed to PayPal's website:



Please note: to donate via credit /debit card, click on the "Continue" link when on the PayPal page:



Thank you,

TEAM SOS


Friday 24 January 2014


Following Mayor Boris Jonhson's support regarding the preservation of the iconic Southbank skatepark, we have created this image for everyone to share,
in order to maintain the pressure on him, so that he doesn't change his stance on the matter.

Thursday 16 January 2014

- UPDATE -

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson
supports skate park rethink



Mayor of London Boris Johnson has made a statement in support of the Southbank Centre's £120 million "Festival Wing" plan, but only on the condition that the iconic skatepark remains.

This is a massive turn of events, as he has the final say on whether the development is given planning permission.



Monday 2 December 2013

- UPDATE -

Southbank Centre have shut the undercroft for "essential repairs"



The Southbank Centre have shut down the undercroft just one week after submitting their latest planning application for the Hungerford Bridge relocation site.

Judging by their extremely deceptive behaviour throughout our struggle to save the iconic skatepark, we see this as no coincidence.

They have stated that these repairs will only go on for 3 days, so we urge the public to help us keep a watchful eye on them so that they honour this promise and don't end up shutting it down indefinitely over the Christmas holidays.



Sunday 1 December 2013

- UPDATE -

Southbank Centre have submitted a new planning application...
this time for the skatepark relocation under Hungerford Bridge!!



We discovered this sign tonight after taking a stroll under Hungerford Bridge, which indicates that the Southbank Centre submitted a new planning application last week on November 27th.

This application refers to the skatepark they wish to build underneath this bridge as a replacement to the iconic one located 120 metres away, which we are trying to stop them from demolishing.

As with the previous "Festival Wing" application which is what sets out to destroy the undercroft skating area, we urge our supporters to object to this planning application too.

In order to do so please follow the instructions written beneath the image in this link:



Thursday 19 September 2013

- UPDATE -

Southbank Centre place propaganda banner above undercroft
just days after Open Forum weekend!!


Once again the Southbank Centre have proved themselves to be distrustful and two faced.

After last weekend's talks concluding with the impossible task for the public to raise £17million in just 6 months in order to save the undercroft, they have erected this large banner above the skatepark in a clear act of propaganda.

Sunday 15 September 2013

- UPDATE -

After weekend of talks with the Southbank Centre at the Open Forum meetings at Coin Street, the conclusion is for the public and users of the undercroft to raise £17million in 6 months if they wish to save it!!

As predicted, this weekend of talks has been an utter farce. Members of the Long Live Southbank campaign, local skaters and Skylon from SOS Resistance spent hours trying to make the Southbank Centre artistic director Jude Kelly, director of partnerships Mike McCart and the CEO Alan Bishop, understand the artistic and cultural importance of preserving the iconic undercroft.

The ridiculously impossible agreement that the Southbank Centre offered was that if the public (along with the preservation campaigns) can raise £17million in 6 months,  the undercroft can be saved.

To view the official reports taken on the day by facilitators Devoted & Disgruntled click here.

Monday 9 September 2013

- UPDATE -

The Southbank Centre publish a new video to promote the skatepark relocation under Hungerford Bridge, just 5 days before their open forum
to discuss the Festival Wing with the public!!



With just 5 days to go before the Open Forum this weekend at Coin Street, where the public can discuss and air their views on the controversial new "Festival Wing" plan (which threatens to demolish the existing skatepark), the Southbank Centre launch this video in what is obviously a calculated move to help sway public opinion in their favour ahead of the meeting.

Once again, they have proved themselves to be extremely devious and dishonourable.

Our response to the video:

1: The video states that skateboarding has a long history across the Southbank, yet they won't tell you that there is also a long and documented history of the Southbank Centre having always tried to get rid of it.

2: They claim it is a larger space, when in reality it is far smaller than what the undercroft used to be before they closed off and reclaimed half of it back in 2005, during their last renovations and dishonouring their promise to re-open for the skaters.

3: The video also states that it was skated until 10 years ago, yet it fails to tell you that the reason it stopped getting skated is because the Southbank Centre demolished all the structures that made it skateable, in order to get rid of its users.

4: Ian Borden who is involved in these controversial designs appeared in this "Save South Bank" video just a few years ago, defending the undercroft.

5: These plans have come out without warning or consultation with the existing undercroft community, or the public.

Friday 23 August 2013

- UPDATE -

The Southbank Centre have scheduled an INVITE ONLY
workshop event to take place on September 14th & 15th:

Running from 10am-5pm on both days this event will be facilitated by Phelim McDermott 
who is a RESIDENT ARTIST at the company Metal,
founded and chaired by the Southbank Centre's own artistic director Jude Kelly.

Unfortunately for the public, spaces are limited and it is an invite only event.

Another great example of public consultation from the Southbank Centre.

CLICK HERE to download a copy of the email that was sent out.


Wednesday 24 July 2013

- UPDATE -

To counter the Southbank Centre's recent false accusations regarding campaigns misleading the public,
we have launched this image as a reminder as to why we all wish to save the current skatepark:


Please share this image in any way that you can.

Thank you,

Skylon

Tuesday 9 July 2013

- UPDATE -

The Southbank Centre launch their own petition, which is quite deceptive.

Check it out:


This is yet more proof that the Southbank Centre have no intention of listening
to the public and preserve the current skating area.

These petitions are currently being placed on every seat of every concert going on at SBC.

Saturday 6 July 2013

- UPDATE -

The Southbank Centre publish a new video to promote their "Festival Wing" plan:


Just as we predicted only yesterday, the Southbank Centre have published a new video urging the public
to support the relocation of the skatepark (and therefore destruction of the current iconic one).

Our response to the video:

1: This video proves that the Southbank Centre have no intention of listening to the public and considering keeping the current skating area where it is.

2: It suggests that campaigners have been lying to the public, telling them that the Southbank Centre is getting rid of skateboarders, when in reality the message has always been clear that we all wish to preserve the current skatepark because of its iconic status and cultural history.

3: The comments Jude Kelly makes about supporting the users of the undercroft with lighting, security and heating are false. Firstly, there is no heating there at all. Secondly, they are a public building therefore providing lighting and security on their premises is a legal requirement. Also, note her body language as soon she says these things.

4: They clearly did not move Starbucks out because they do not support big chain retail units as they seem to be insinuating, as they have plenty others still on site. Furthermore, it was the Southbank Centre that put Starbucks there in the first place!!

Friday 5 July 2013

- NEWS ARTICLE -

THE GUARDIAN - "SKATEBOARDERS' CAMPAIGN FORCES SOUTHBANK CENTRE PLANNING DELAY"

PHOTO: ASHOK SAXENA/DEMOTIX/CORBIS


Just for the record we would like to state that we DO NOT believe for a minute that the Southbank Centre has done this because of the campaigns trying to save the undercroft.

On the contrary, we strongly believe that this has mainly been done because of the National Theatre's official objection to the "Festival Wing" planning application which came just yesterday, two days before the deadline date to submit objections to Lambeth Council.

This combined with the Southbank Centre's behaviour so far, makes us feel that they will use this time to gather support for their plan
and only make changes to aspects of it which could jeopardise its chances of being granted planning permission.

We have warned other campaigns about our views on this matter and recommended that they stay alert
and prepare for an imminent counter-campaign by the Southbank Centre.



- NEWS ARTICLE -


Wednesday 26 June 2013

- UPDATE -

The Southbank Centre have now launched a new Facebook page dedicated to
promoting the "Festival Wing" which will see the annihilation of the iconic skating area.


Please leave as many comments as possible on their page.

#sosresistance

Monday 17 June 2013

- UPDATE -

Immortal Technique talking about the skatepark on stage
at the end of his concert today at the Southbank Centre.


(Happy Birthday Tupac Shakur)

Saturday 15 June 2013

- UPDATE -

SOS/SKYLON met up with US rapper and activist Immortal Technique today at the Southbank Centre
ahead of his concert there tomorrow, to go into more detail with him about the skatepark issue.

Thursday 13 June 2013

- UPDATE -

Immortal Technique has sent out a Tweet about the Southbank skatepark:

TWITTER FEED

Total Pageviews