Ipswich coach Lewis Anderson of Two-Toed Skateboarding sets up indoor skate space at Murrayside Community Centre in Nacton Road

A coach has launched what he believes is Suffolk’s first indoor skateboarding space to allow people to practise during the winter, when it would otherwise be difficult to do so.

Lewis Anderson, the owner of Two-Toed Skateboarding, began holding skateboarding classes and sessions at Murrayside Community Centre in Nacton Road, Ipswich, at the start of November.

Lewis teaches the sport to people ‘within a 40-mile radius’ of the town in areas across Suffolk, Essex and Norfolk.

However, he typically has to significantly reduce lessons between November and February, and hoped the new space would be a huge boon to his business.

In addition, he believed an indoor space was a great way to give back to the community and would allow him to introduce a passion for the sport to the next generation without needed to stop due to treacherous conditions during the winter months.

Lewis also hoped it could make skateboarding more approachable as traditional skate parks can often be ‘intimidating’.

The 27-year-old said: “I’ve been skating since I was 10 and had been thinking to myself for a while how nice it would be to have a space like this where anyone, regardless of ability, can come and skate.

“I’d never thought of setting one up myself, but I linked with a company in Colchester, and decided to do it.

“There are indoor skate parks in Essex and London as well as Norfolk, but when it gets to this time of year, skaters here are a little stuck.

“During winter, it’s very difficult for me to get business, so this will not only allow me to continue lessons, but share the joy skating brings to me with others.

“I was very anxious to start it, but the feedback I’ve been given has made me want to keep it going as long as possible.

“Now, we try to cater for everyone, a mix of genders and abilities. It’s a good place to be in. We even have a toy section with fingerboards and a grip tape workshop for more artistic skaters.”

Since opening in November, Lewis said he had developed a small community at Murrayside, which was proving to be popular.

However, he told of his difficulty in finding a space to rent, due to many halls being reluctant to open up for skate events.

And Lewis hopes the success of his project shows a demand for indoor skating in Suffolk – and pushes councils to create spaces of their own.

“One day, I hope, I can open my own indoor space – that would be the dream,” Lewis said.

During his Sunday sessions at Murrayside, Lewis hosts three-and-a-half hours of skating lessons, plus an additional three-and-a-half hours for general skating where the public can come in and try their hand at the activity – and even hosts events.

Lewis said parents were keen for him to keep the space going and felt it was something the town needed.

Skateboarding could also be a way to help ‘concentrate’ those with ADHD or autism, he said, and he felt it was good to instill a ‘fall down, get back up’ mindset to boost confidence in youngsters.

Lewis said: “I hope to keep the sessions going until at least March, although there could be plans to continue it into the warmer months.

“When the weather gets better I’ll work to go back to outside spaces, but if that doesn’t work out, we’ll go back to the hall.”

Lessons at Murrayside run from 1pm to 4.30pm, while the general skating session runs from 4.30pm until 8pm.

Entrance to the skating sessions cost ‘a few quid’, Lewis said, to help him pay for the space.

Lewis has been a skateboarding teacher since 2017.

He hosts both one-to-one and group sessions.

He added: “It’s honestly an amazing thing to be able to combine skating and teaching, getting to turn my passion and hobby into a business, and I want to spread this joy to others.”