Parents and pupils at a South Cumbrian primary school are celebrating the launch of their new playground after a huge fundraising effort.
The new area at Walney’s Vickerstown Primary School opened for play after the Friends of Vickerstown raised more than £10,000 to upgrade the space and install latest equipment.
The junior playground has been popular and plans are now in the pipeline for a second play area upgrade in the infant area.
Chair of the Friends of Vickerstown, Lisa McCullough, said it had been the group’s aim to achieve this for more than three years and they were delighted to see the results.
“Everyone who has contributed to a non-uniform day, come along to a Christmas fayre and sponsored a Coniston to Barrow walker – among many other things – has helped us.
“It’s been great to finally make that donation and see the result. We’d love to revamp the KS1 playground and that might be our next long-term target.”
The friends donated £10,746 for the Playdale playground equipment and the site was cleared and prepared by South Lakes Tree Surgeons with support from site staff from South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust.
Mrs McCullough said the friends also plan to make a donation to improve the school’s sensory room next to help children with additional needs.
She appealed for anyone who wanted to join the group to contact her via school as with children moving onto seniors, they needed some new members.
Interim headteacher Katie Stepanian said it was wonderful to see children enjoying the play area, especially with the good weather on its way.
She added: “A huge thank you to the Friends of Vickerstown for this amazing new facility which will give our children many happy hours of play and exercise and contribute so much to their enjoyment of their time at school. Also thanks to the team at the trust who worked with school to plan and organise the installation.”
Vickerstown Primary and Brambles Nursery School is a member of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust.
