Entrepreneur wants to establish a new roller rink
A Yorkshire-based entrepreneur is on the hunt for 10,000 sq ft of space to house a new roller rink, as demand for the sport spikes.
The founder of Roller Girl Gang, a Leeds-based roller skate shop which offers classes to adults of all skating abilities, is hoping to find a suitable space for a roller rink to serve the growing numbers of teams and individuals that have taken up the sport.
Melissa Blackwood, who points out that Yorkshire has not had a dedicated roller rink in 50 years, swapped her career as a primary school teacher to open her first skate shop in 2020.
When lockdowns prevented the shop from running at full capacity, demand for lessons and online goods soared.
Over the past two years, Blackwood has trained 15 instructors and recruited 30 volunteers to run the classes.
She enrolled in a 12-week Help to Grow: Management Course designed to help business leaders and their senior managers to increase resilience, innovation, and growth within their organisations.
The course was delivered by Leeds Business School at Leeds Beckett University, a recipient of the Small Business Charter award that is given to institutions that support small businesses.
By using the new skills gained through the course, Blackwood reshaped her organisation to give her employees more responsibility and saw turnover increase by 74% in the period from February 2021 to February 2022.
She has progressed from running her business alone to hiring six part-time employees, enabling her to focus on growing the business even more.
Blackwood said: “Many female business owners I’ve spoken to struggle to ask for support, or don’t know where to look.
“Thankfully I was pointed to the Help to Grow: Management Course. I’ve been able to gain the skills needed to help drive the business forward, give my team a solid progression plan, and to start work on finding a space for roller skaters to enjoy – my ultimate goal.
Blackwood has also sought support from Fund Her North to boost her knowledge around securing investment.
She explained: “While demand for skating increased two-fold during the pandemic, we’re now left with skaters struggling to find a safe space to play and skate safely.
“From roller derby teams and competitive roller hockey groups to people skating for fun, there’s a real appetite across Yorkshire for a roller rink.
“Thanks to the Help to Grow: Management Course, I’m now able to understand what investors need from me and I’m working really hard to find a space so we can bring a roller rink back to Yorkshire soon.”
Michael Hayman, chair, Small Business Charter, added: “Melissa is a brilliant example of how the Help to Grow: Management Course provides inspirational business leaders with the skills and confidence to build flourishing businesses and make contributions to their community.
“Melissa’s journey so far is truly inspiring. I wish the whole Roller Girl Gang team all the best going forward and hope they can find the space needed to make a skate rink a reality for the whole Yorkshire community.”
