CHILDREN are celebrating after a “true community effort” led to £50,000 being raised to re-open and revamp a village play park.
The Wesley Terrace play area, in Middleton-in-Teesdale, was closed in 2018 when the equipment was deemed unsafe.
Many parents in the village remembered playing there when they were children and rallied around to give their kids the same opportunity.
Grants, donations and fundraising events led to the Play Area Working Group smashing its target of £40,000 by more than £10,000.
Last week, children were able to again use the play park, which has mostly new equipment – from slides and a roundabout to a zip-wire.
Mum Grace Crawford, a member of the volunteer-led group, said: “It’s been a lengthy process and Covid brought delays but we got there. All of the children are so excited to use it and start playing.
“The parish council wanted parents to come forward two years ago and there were 12 of us – mostly mums.
“A lot of us played here when we were kids but some of the equipment was probably 20 years old and had reached the end of its life. We were lucky as all the infrastructure was here – the paths and benches.
“Overall funding has come from more than 60 different sources. It’s been a true community effort.”
County councillor Richard Bell, one of those to contribute, said: “It’s great to see it has been such a success after such a lot of hard work.
“It’s a lovely facility and seeing all the children enjoying it speaks for itself.”
Mum Courtney Merchant, born and bred in Middleton, said she was delighted with what the working group had done.
She said: “It’s has been needed so much.
“We have had to go to Wolsingham or Eggleston to use the play parks there – it’s brilliant to have something local for the children.”
The working group says it may look at adding more equipment in the future to the park, which will be
maintained by the parish council.
Funders of the project included the National Lottery Community Fund Awards for All, Teesdale Action Partnership budgets of councillors Richard Bell and Ted Henderson and its youth fund, Durham County Council, Middleton-in-Teesdale and Newbiggin Parish Council, and North Star Housing.
There were also contributions from charities including The Clique and the M R Cannon Charitable Trust, as well as from businesses and individuals, as well as money raised through community events and activities.
