The National Lottery has come to the rescue after a project to start replacing the ageing children’s playpark in Guilsfield saw costs rise by 40% over the past 18 months.
The current spiralling cost of living crisis meant that the £25,000 set aside by Guilsfield Community Council to start phase one of project was about £10,000 short, but this weekend the sub-committee assigned to see the project through received some good news from there National Lottery, who will cover the shortfall.
“This is a major step forward in improving our play area for our children and we are now hoping to have the first project completed this autumn,” said Guilsfield Community Council Chairperson and County Councillor Ian Harrison.
“I would like to thank local parents for their patience, support and understanding and also thank school staff for helping pupils develop their play area wish list.”
Part of the popular playground, which was built in 1995, was condemned by a safety inspection report last year and had to be removed, a costly job in itself with 12 tonnes of concrete needing to go.
The council has worked with Guilsfield Primary School pupils to identify what they would like to see in the park, and estimate that the second phase of the project to complete the park and improve disabled access could cost up to £100,000.
Cllr Harrison also said that plans are being put into place to upgrade a second playpark at the Maes-y-Celyn end of the village “in the next five-10 years”.