Cash seized from criminals is helping youngsters in North Wales get on their skateboard – without their parent having to pay a penny.

Around 30 children aged five to 12 took part in a free skateboarding session at Bangor University’s Canolfan Brailsford, funded by the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT).

The session was led by Bangor skateboarder Tom Butler, who has spent three years using his On ya Board community project to get more youngsters into the sport.

The £250 grant from PACT – an independent charity which has supported more than 2,500 projects since it was launched in 1998 – was secured after Police Community Support Officer Julie Broadhead applied for funding to give local children something different to try.

According to Tom, the money meant children could give skateboarding a go without their families having to fork out for the session – or invest in a skateboard and helmet before knowing whether they enjoyed it.

He said: “Having the funding from PACT is so helpful because I really don’t want there to be any barriers to skateboarding.

“A session like this is so important because it gives the children a chance to learn how to skateboard in an indoor space.”

The support follows a £2,000 grant given to Tom earlier this year from PACT’s main grant fund which was used to run On ya Board workshops in schools and community centres.

Tom, 38, runs weekly sessions at community centres in Beaumaris and Felinheli, has classes during the school holidays in Bangor and Holyhead, and also runs workshops where youngsters design and make their own skateboards.

He said: “There are no skateboard shops at all in North Wales, and no indoor skateparks.

“So I aim to fill the gap for people who don’t know anything about skateboarding and who want to come and meet other people who do know about it.

“At the board building sessions I take old scrap pieces of wood and old roller skates and get kids to draw the shape of the board they want.

“Then I cut the shape and the kids attach the roller skates and make their own skateboards which they can keep and take home.

“The children who take part in On ya Board sessions build friendships and they build relationships and then they go off on their own and that is what I want to encourage.

“Looking ahead, I want to do more sessions for teenagers and get funding to take them to skateparks in places like Warrington and Liverpool to give them the opportunity to keep skateboarding throughout the winter.”

PACT chair Ashley Rogers attended the session and was hugely impressed by how quickly the youngsters were picking up skateboarding skills.

He said: “I think they have been fantastic and it’s wonderful for PACT to have supported such a great initiative.

“It has been really well attended with a really good mix of children, and by their big smiles you can see the kids are clearly enjoying themselves and are loving the chance to learn new skills and being active.

“This type of activity is what PACT is there for, it is about supporting our communities and our young people, giving them the chance to enjoy social interaction and mixing with different age groups.

“This session is being funded by cash and property seized from criminals, so it is great to know it is being put to such good use and reinvested within our communities across North Wales.

“PACT wants to help all our communities across North Wales, reducing crime and the fear of crime through positive projects that make a real difference.”

It was a view echoed by PCSO Julie Broadhead who said: “We’ve had a great response from the kids and the session has gone really well.

“A lot of the parents have driven quite considerable distances to get here as well, we’ve had someone from Holyhead for example, while others are from Bangor and the surrounding villages.

“The kids are making new friends and getting along and building up their confidence in skateboarding and going over ramps.

“You can see them grow in confidence in front of you, the ones who could barely do it are now scooting past really fast.

“It is just great to see them out away from TV screens and doing something different.”

PACT manager Kelsey Reed added: “Neighbourhood policing teams and other departments within North Wales Police can apply to the small grants fund for community projects to be supported and we were so pleased to offer the funding when PCSO Julie Broadhead made her application.”

The session proved a huge hit with the children who took part as well as their parents.

Mum Lee Duggan, from Tregarth, brought her 11-year-old son Rupert Cooper to the session.

She said: “Roo did a skateboarding session with Tom two years ago and just loved it.

“We now go to Tom’s session on a Thursday in Beaumaris and the way Roo’s confidence has grown is amazing.

“Now Roo is helping other kids with their skateboarding, it’s brilliant to see.

“It is really important that PACT has provided funding for this session because not everyone wants to play football or do a team sport, so this gives kids a taster of how enjoyable skateboarding can be.”

Roo said: “The session has been really good because I really enjoy skateboarding.

“I have fallen off before, and I fell off today, but it’s still good fun.”

Six-year-old Charlie Broadhead said: “This was the first time I have skateboarded, and it has been good fun.

“I really liked the ramps and going fast.”