Children and families have been enjoying a new play park following its official opening on Sunday (26 May).
The opening of the play area at Rayrigg Meadow at Millerground, Windermere, marked a major milestone on the journey towards making the lakeside park a significant community asset.
The play area is part of the Millerground Enhancement Plan, which has included opening up the park so the lake can be seen from the road and improvements to paths which will allow more people easier access to the lake shore and a new picnic area.
The new park was opened by Windermere’s new Mayor and chairman of the Millerground Enhancement Group John Saunders, along with South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) Leader Councillor Giles Archibald, at a well-attended ceremony on Sunday afternoon.
The Millerground Enhancement Group – made up of Windermere Town Council, Windermere and Bowness Civic Society, GLL, National Trust and the Lake District National Park Authority – has been raising funds for the project since 2013 and has received funding for the play area from SLDC, the True Colours Trust and the National Lottery Community Fund to create an inclusive play area for both local and visiting children to enjoy.
In 2016, the project received two lots of funding worth £150,000 from SLDC towards the overall project to revamp the 39-acre site – £50,000 from the Locally Important Projects (LIPs) fund and a further £100,000 from the council’s capital fund. A further LIPs grant of £10,000 was given to the project in 2018 to add to a grant of £5,000 in 2014 to restore a historic viewpoint.
In his speech before the official ribbon cutting to open the new park, Councillor Archibald praised the hard work and dedication of the Millerground Enhancement Group and said it was a fantastic example of partnership working delivering real results.
