06 Sep 2025
A seven-year-old superstar raised more than £1,000 after skating for more than eight hours at The Pioneer Club.
Fraser Gaygusuz wanted to do his bit to help hit The Pioneer’s £20,000 target for a new outdoor skatepark.
His mum Lucy explained: “In the 1990s, volunteers built the original park from scratch. For nearly 30 years, it’s been a home for skaters, in-liners and scooter riders to learn, grow and connect. Fraser’s dad learnt to skate at The Pioneer and it’s incredible that 30 years later Fraser is doing the same!
“The Pioneer is are working with Betong Park to create a safer, smoother, more creative space that still holds the spirit of the original – just with better flow and a design that’ll last for decades. This isn’t just about ramps. It’s about giving young people a place to belong, to fall and get back up, to build confidence and community.
“The park will be for all ages and skill levels – where the old teach the new, and skate culture continues to thrive.
“Skating builds resilience, creativity, and keeps us moving – body and mind.”
Fraser started skating at 10am alongside his little sister and cousin at The Pioneer’s under 5s Mini Shredders session. He started outside in the sunshine and perfected his grinding on the rainbow rail with help from his skateboarding uncle.
After the Mini Shredders session The Pioneer opened up for their regular skate session where Fraser was joined by other skaters.
After Fraser enjoyed a brief pizza pitstop for lunch The Pioneer was open to anyone wanting to come and skate alongside him in exchange for a donation to his fundraising.
By 2.30pm, after four and a half hour skating Fraser’s fundraising page had already raised more than £1,000, and with less than four hours to go Fraser was tired but spurred on to double his fundraising target!
Throughout the day Fraser was joined by friends and family who cheered him on bringing flags and sweets for motivation and energy.
Fraser’s skateboarding coaches and The Pioneer’s skatepark managers joined him for a skate and kept him going when he started to flag. Pioneer Trustee Dave Uprichard and his family also came down to skate and cheer Fraser on, and even when he took a few hard falls he kept on going.
At the end of the eight hours Fraser was met with cheers and presented with a brand new deck gifted to him by Death Skateboards and presented by pro skater Charlie Spelzini. Nick Zorlac, founder of Death Skateboards, came along to present Fraser with his new deck and offer his support.
Fraser has so far raised £1,175 for The Pioneer, with more money continuing to pour in.
Fraser said afterwards: “It was fun but tiring, it was nice to see my friends, they kept me going. Skating for so long I learnt some new tricks and my new board is so cool!”
Lucy added: “We are so proud of Fraser, he just keeps going even when things get tough. The support from the local skateboarding community is really heartwarming, every parent wants kind, supportive and inspiring role models for their child and Pioneer has given Fraser that and so much more. We love that he is giving back to his community at such a young age.”
Pioneer skatepark manager Charlie Spelzini said: “Having been involved with The Pioneer my whole life, I can say with certainty that Fraser’s contribution to the charity is truly extraordinary. For a seven-year-old to dream up such a creative way to raise funds for the skatepark speaks volumes about the kind of community The Pioneer inspires and sustains.
“In the 1980s, it was young people who came together to build the very first skatepark. Now, decades later, it’s the next generation carrying that same spirit forward, showing us that the values of resilience, teamwork and passion are still alive and thriving. That sense of continuity is both powerful and deeply moving.
“Fraser’s eight-hour skate marathon wasn’t just a fundraiser—it was a celebration. A day filled with laughter, pizza, determination and joy. It reminded us of the beautiful simplicity of skateboarding itself: friendship, belonging, and young people leading the way towards a brighter future.”
https://www.justgiving.com/page/frasers-8-hour-skate?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL&utm_campaign=015
