Skate Haven given until end of October to leave Decathlon Surrey Quays

Skate Haven, a social enterprise that has run cheap after-school skateboarding inside Decathlon’s flagship Surrey Quays store for almost three years, has been told to leave by the end of October. Its ramps and rails are expected to make way for more indoor pickleball courts, with the aim of raising daytime revenue at the store, according to claims about the plans. Decathlon has not commented publicly on its plans for the space.

Co-founder Ricardo, 33, said the change would destroy something worth far more to London than extra income. “You can’t put a price on community,” he said. The activity floor, he added, “is just going to be racket sports”.

What Skate Haven offers young skaters at Surrey Quays

The idea came from private coaching. While giving paid lessons, Ricardo and fellow director Miguel saw how unequal access to the sport was, and they started the classes to do something about it. The enterprise depends heavily on grants and donations and is one of the cheapest activities in the store.

Sessions cost £6 to £9, with some free. Hiring kit costs £2, which spares families the upfront cost of equipment. By Ricardo’s estimate, 200 to 300 people have been through the sessions since 2024.

Parents know their children are safe indoors instead of on the street, he said, especially in winter. Six-year-olds skate with teenagers and adults. Some of the young skaters are neurodivergent, and parents have told him their child has finally found something they love doing.

He said he had nothing against pickleball itself. But he believes it mostly attracts retirees and middle-class players, which would leave little on that floor for his young skaters. The only real alternative for them, he said, is the Southbank.

A petition started by parents and local people calling on Decathlon to keep the sessions has passed 900 signatures. Ricardo said two months was not enough time, and that more time until the end of the year would help him find a new home.

Other London skateparks under pressure

The eviction follows several setbacks for the capital’s few remaining skate venues over the past six months. In April, staff at Hop Kingdom, an indoor skatepark in Bermondsey, arrived to find the locks changed in a dispute over rent arrears. Owner Ben Hopkinson says six weeks of attempts to agree repayments got no response, and he then learned his lease had been terminated. Skaters have also campaigned against padel courts being built on the community-funded Barking Skate Park.