Fresher launches petition to bring ice rink to town

An entrepreneurial fresher has started an online petition to build an ice rink in town.

Thomas Sanford, the first year Film and TV student behind the campaign, is already half way to getting the 500 signatures he needs, gaining 253 in just two weeks.

He told us: “I started this petition as there are only two ice rinks in Wales (Aberystwyth being one hundred miles from both of them) and a rink here would be massively beneficial for the economy and the whole community.

“There are around 60 ice rinks in the UK and each one is the centre of a huge community.

“Ice hockey, figure skating, curling, sledge hockey, public skating, on-ice productions and more could be brought to Aberystwyth if we had a rink.”

A very keen Thomas in ice hockey get-up

Thomas added: “The ice rink would put the town on the map. It would be popular with the large student population and also for both locals and tourists.”

Thomas claims the ice rink would benefit not only the 13,000 residents of Aberystwyth, but also the other 62,900 sporty people living in nearby Ceredigion. Currently, Wales has only two ice rinks – one in Cardiff, and another in Deeside.

We might be able to do more of this…

But some are more sceptical about the proposal, saying the Council’s time and money could be better spent elsewhere – especially as Aber already boasts an abundance of outdoor pursuit sports.

Helen Skidmore, a Third year Childhood Studies student, said: “I think it’s weird.

“We’ve had these rumours before with the zip line thing from consti and so I’m not too certain it’s true. If it happens it’s either going to go down amazing or just be a massive flop.”

An anonymous commenter on Change.org said money should be spent on more worthy causes: “Aber could make world news by redistributing waste food to those in need rather than dump it in a landfill.”

An exciting addition or waste of council money?

Nevertheless, many students remain optimistic about the positive impact an ice rink could have on the surrounding area.

Third year International Politics student Adam Chapple told us: “I think that there is demand for an ice rink.

“It would be a good idea provided they can find the space and provided people would support it. It would bring in more money, it would be good for students, it could bring in specific people who do ice skating if the facilities are good. And it would entertain people in the winter.

“If it was an indoor one you could use it in the summer and then people would have more reason to come here.”

Lydia Bennett, a third year Art student, added: “I can’t ice skate but it would be fun. Plus it would be cool for our uni to have a brutal ice hockey team.”

For now, Thomas’s plans for a winter wonderland remain on ice. But with a couple of hundred more signatures on Change.org it could soon become a reality.