Sadiq awards £700k to South Bank undercroft project

The grant for the South Bank undercroft project is part of the Mayor of London's £70 million Good Growth Fund.

The forthcoming reconfiguration of the existing Undercroft sees an extension of this internationally renowned skate space, including improvements to lighting and a restoration of original 1960s banks and concrete paving.

The creation of a new educational centre will enable children and young people to engage in wide-ranging learning and creative activities curated by Southbank Centre.

The latest plan for the space – with users of the undercroft working together with Southbank Centre – follows the bitter dispute about the arts centre's now abandoned Festival Wing project.

The new grant builds on the joint crowdfunding campaign launched in June last year, which has seen support from the international skateboarding community, general public, businesses and philanthropists.

"LLSB and Southbank Centre have been working hard to show what can be achieved through collaboration and we're grateful to everyone who continues to donate and support the campaign," said Louis Woodhead of Long Live Southbank.

"Receiving the Good Growth Fund brings us closer to our vision to provide more space and opportunities for this creativity to grow and flourish."

Elaine Bedell, Southbank Centre's chief executive, said: "We're delighted to have been selected as recipients for this generous grant, from such a strong pool of funding applications.

"The development of this space will give skaters and BMXers access to newly opened up, and restored, sections of the Undercroft whilst young people and schoolchildren from across the capital will benefit from a new fully accessible arena for diverse creative and learning activities."