A YOUNG people’s charity that wanted to almost double the size of Petersfield skate park and that was on the brink of folding, has been thrown a lifeline.

Aspire Pharma of Rotherbrook Court in Bedford Road has stepped in to save the ambitious plan to make the skate park wheelchair-user friendly that is expected to cost up to £180,000.

The phase two plan was being promoted by The Festival for Young People, a charity founded in 2008 and run by retired Petersfield trio Nigel Wells, Roger Parkes and Daphne Clark.

They raised about £150,000 to build the first phase of the skate park on the Petersfield Town Council-owned Love Lane playing fields, and it opened in 2010.

But further frustrating years trying to raise funds for phase two ended in the rejection of a lottery fund application earlier this year.

The blow saw the dejected trio of fundraisers announce earlier this month they were going to fold the charity and give up on the idea.

Aspire Pharma had previously donated to the charity – and on hearing news of its imminent closure, founder and managing director Graham Fraser-Pye met Mr Wells and agreed a rescue plan.

Mr Fraser-Pye said: “People like Mr Wells are local heroes, who dedicate their heart and soul to this project, and we want to acknowledge this and lend a helping hand.”

Aspire Pharma will now dedicate their skills and expertise to aid the ongoing development of Petersfield Skate Park.

This will include working with the town council to facilitate its completion.

The company has also agreed to keep the Festival for Young People afloat in the meantime.

Mr Wells said: “We are overjoyed and look forward to working with Aspire Pharma and completing the skate park expansion.”

A company spokesman said Aspire was prepared to fund the skate park expansion and that the project “is going to happen.”

Established in 2009, privately-owned Aspire offers a range of medicines, medical devices, and diagnostics equipment.