In 2002 the group UKFA (founded by Rico Jakk and colleagues in Urban Arts and Extreme Sports), working with 60 young volunteers over 3 years, cleared machinery and junk from the then unused 'Play Barn' at Mill Lane Youth Centre. Originally the plan was to use the space for breakdance and street acrobatic training, boxing and other physical activities. Then Skate City in Whitley Bay closed down...

• The group asked for permission to build an indoor skate park and circus training space on the condition that it was run as a Not for Profit organization. They then set about recovering wasted or unused materials, including ramps from closed-down skate parks, and the building work began..


• At the time there were only 3 Indoor Skate Parks in whole of the northeast and they were all private businesses. All except Arcade in Redcar were closed down by the time Boardroom was ready to open in 2005.


• Three years passed and the project, by then ready to skate, lay unused and children and other enthusiasts were forced to follow their interests outdoors and when the weather was bad they'd simply have nowhere to go.


• However, during those 3 years, we did not give up or stop working. After those who had been involved struggled to keep the momentum, Rosa met Rico, found out about the project, and began to bring together a new group of people to form the committee, and take the project forward. They set up a new company, Boardroom Newcastle Ltd, and re-opened negotiations with the council. It took a lot of negotiating, the involvement of Jim Cousins and two and a half years to finally get a 1 year lease for the building.


• In the time we were out of the building, Rosa and Rico also brought their skills and experience together to conceive a project, Urban Circus Theatre, and set up a circus training space, including a trampoline-wall set up, in St Michael's Church, Byker, which was unused for a number of years. We recycled the church organ which was no longer functional, and used the money generated to install basic facilities (toilets, lights, heating, security doors), and created circus-training apparatus. We ran a series of circus workshops with local young people over 2 years, and organised special events, such as a New Year's eve celebration with performances, a very popular week of activities during February Half Term, and have been involved in Byker Fest, which is now running for its second year.


• Despite the issues above meaning it has been very difficult to access funding, Boardroom is now entering its second year being open to the public, and we have continued to improve our facilities, to make sure we can keep challenging you, and catering to as many needs as possible.