Sidley BMX track set for relaunch

A meeting called by new Sidley councillors Jimmy Carroll and Bob Wheeler on Monday evening saw agreement to relaunch the defunct Bexhill BMX club.

Bexhill Community Partnership youth development worker Joyce Rook, who chaired Monday's meeting, is now writing to interested parties inviting them to Sidley Community Association's Sidley House base on Monday, September 10.

The aim of the 7pm meeting will be to elect a new committee.

This is seen as the key first stage in the complicated process.

This Monday's meeting was attended by young riders plus parents who are equally keen to see the track restored, a new lease agreement reached with Rother and a club reconstituted.

The meeting was also attended by Mike Mahon of the Youth Development Service and by Sidley Police Community Support Office Natasha Pengilly and colleague Adam Cox.

In its heyday, Sidley BMX track attracted international riders.

Volunteer Richard Bollington said: "When it first opened there were people from all over the world racing there - Argentina and whatever..."

Parents and young riders told the meeting that the nearest comparable BMX track for competition use is at Dagenham.

Former competition rider Jacob Hammond said that he'd had to make arrangements to practice on the football pitch because the Sidley track had become unsafe for training.

"I trained for years on the football pitch. It was so frustrating."

The meeting heard that Rother had granted a new lease to the club but the track had fallen into disrepair.

Richard Bollington estimated that a load of soil plus five days work by a digger and roller would be needed to put the Sidley track back in condition.

A new starting gate would also be needed.

The meeting agreed the partnership working with Rother, Bexhill Community Partnership and the Youth Development Service was essential.

Cllr Carroll said it was hoped to include young riders on the committee as their viewpoint was essential to the scheme's success.

Joyce Rook issued invitations to those who would be putting themselves forward for election to the new committee to attend one of the three training courses she is arranging in February. They cover committee work, fact-handling, publishing newsletters and dealing with difficult people.