Skateboarding sessions for mothers helps women ‘feel like kids again’, say entrepreneurial couple behind Board Mums Club

An entrepreneurial couple who opened a skatepark earlier this year have introduced skateboarding sessions for mothers of all ages to come together and “feel like kids again”.

Martina Biquard, 32, and her husband Chaz Merryweather, 30, opened TR7 Indoor Skatepark CIC, located in Roche, Cornwall, in April 2024 with the aim of creating a “community that will welcome anyone”.

After two friends – Zoe Rees-Oliver and Claire Hancox-Devine – suggested TR7 introduce a group session for mothers, where women of any ability can learn to skateboard, Martina and Chaz jumped at the “untapped” opportunity.

Since launching in June, Martina, who is due to give birth to her first child in January, said the fortnightly “Board Mums Club” has become one of TR7’s most popular sessions, with mothers in attendance from across the UK aged from their mid-20s to mid-40s.

The mothers will “whoop” and “cheer” each other on, with Chaz instructing them, and there is the opportunity to have a tea or coffee, along with a natter.

Martina said “you don’t have to be Tony Hawk” or wear baggy trousers to skateboard, adding: “If you feel comfortable in a tutu and you feel yourself, then whatever you feel yourself in is going to be accepted.”

With the aim of “having fun and being more active”, without the children, Martina said there is no pressure at the Board Mums Club – instead, she hopes it will build confidence and “take that intimidation away”.

Martina told PA Real Life: “We say to everyone, it’s never too late to give it a go.

“There are always helmets and protection that you can wear and, given it is such a community sport, everyone is always keen to help, even if you’ve never stepped on a board before.

“I think that everyone who came to the Board Mums Club felt super-intimidated and awkward, and thought, ‘What am I doing?’

“But after the first session and the vibe that is there, with everyone cheering for each other even if it’s the smallest achievement, it helps to build up that confidence and take that intimidation away.”

Zoe added: “Being able to just have a couple of hours to feel like a kid again and just have some fun with your mates is really great. I love it.”

Martina and Chaz, who met while working and living in Andorra before moving to Cornwall, started from “humble beginnings”, opening a small skate shop called TR7 in Newquay – inspired by the area’s postcode – in April 2018.

Chaz has experience in teaching snowboarding, and surfing, among other water sports, and with Martina’s “business mind”, they started selling their own skateboards and clothing.

Martina said she and Chaz were “constantly getting asked about lessons”, and they started teaching adults and children outdoors.

“We started doing lessons in driveways, in houses, in car parks… but the weather was a big challenge, so we started looking for an indoor facility, a location, a warehouse,” Martina said.

By November 2019, they moved to a small warehouse – and with the donation of a mini ramp and with fundraising, they launched their own skatepark and started offering lessons.

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, they had to leave the warehouse in January 2023 – but after fundraising around £40,000 and with a Community Levelling Up grant of £115,000, they were able to open their new skatepark in April this year.

The Community Levelling Up grant was given to them as part of the Good Growth Programme, which delivers the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly as part of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda.

Martina said: “It’s a very popular sport that is growing so much, and people want to get on board, so I do feel really grateful and lucky that we managed to get back up – like a phoenix bird rising from the ashes.”

TR7 Indoor Skatepark CIC has an innovative rope system and harness setup, designed to make skateboarding safe and accessible for all, and Martina said they welcome skateboarders of all ages and levels, including autistic and special educational needs skaters.

The skatepark, which was designed by architect Trevor Johnson, features an array of skateboarding elements, including a ramp, rails and ledges, as well as an area for beginners and a cafe and social area.

Martina and Chaz offer “General Entry” sessions, an “After School Club” and an “Over 25s Group Session” as well as the “Board Mums Club” – an idea which started with Zoe and Claire.

Speaking to PA Real Life, Zoe said: “Living in Cornwall, we know there are groups of women like us who have maybe lost a sense of self since having children and are of a certain age as well.

“We wanted to create an environment where the community can come together and really support each other to just have fun and get back to being themselves again.”

Claire added: “To have this idea was one thing, but then to have TR7 say, ‘Yeah, let’s run with it. Let’s do this’, it got the dream off the ground.”

Since its first session in June, Martina said it has grown in popularity – and now, some of the mothers say it is their “highlight of the week” and “the best thing about a Sunday”.

Martina, who does not skateboard herself, said seeing the mothers cheering each other on, connecting and learning new skills is “amazing” – and she said that “the dads are so jealous”, so they might look to launch a separate club.

Speaking about her advice to mothers or anyone considering trying skateboarding, Martina said: “Like anything that’s new, it’s always scary and intimidating but it’s always good to give things a chance and try them out – and who knows, you might meet your next new best friend.

“Putting a mum’s club out there reinforces that we can achieve any community and reach so many more that we probably haven’t tapped yet.

“It’s not just about learning to skate, it’s about making new friends and creating new friendships and learning new skills on the physical and on the social aspects.”

Claire said: “When you bring women together, they become a force, and it absolutely builds that confidence that we were hoping for, and a sense of community, which I think can be lost when you’ve had children sometimes.

“I think there’s a lot of isolation, particularly in Cornwall, so bringing women together, particularly mums, has been a huge thing for us.”

To find out more, visit: tr7skatepark.co.uk.