Motivated villagers behind an ambitious near £100,000 project to replace a dilapidated children’s play area are celebrating securing enough funds to proceed.
A community group was set up in Threlkeld in 2022 with the aim of raising enough cash to replace the ageing play area on Jubilee Croft and this week it was announced that they had achieved their goal after receiving a £50,000 grant.
The catalyst behind the fundraising was a very successful Platinum Jubilee weekend in the village in June 2022 which yielded a very small cash surplus that could have been divided among various groups in the village.
But instead an idea was formed by Alison Crozier, of Threlkeld Toddlers and Friends of Threlkeld School, to start fundraising for a new play area on a field that was originally put in trust by local landowners for the benefit of children, as their way of celebrating the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897. Since 1904 the trustees have been Threlkeld Parish Council.
The new facility will be called the Platinum Jubilee Play Area in honour of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, which was the initial spark for the project.
Once the project was launched Threlkeld Toddlers set about defining what was wanted – modern play equipment and safety surfacing with less grass that gets wet and muddy.
Initially, thinking that this would cost about £40,000, the group soon realised it would cost considerably more – closer to £100,000.
The group also needed to work with Threlkeld Parish Council as the guardians of the land and it will be the owners of the new equipment. After some initial hesitancy, the parish council gave its full support to the project and committed up to £20,000 to it. Since then the parish council has worked closely with Threlkeld Toddlers on the project.
In the meantime Threlkeld Toddlers launched appeals for donations and applied to various funding bodies for cash grants.
At the beginning of December 2023, the project received confirmation of a major grant of £50,000 from Cumbria Waste Management Environment Trust (CWMET). The Landfill Communities Fund Scheme was introduced in 1996 by the Government. It allowed landfill operators to claim back a percentage of their annual landfill tax bill and pay it to a registered environmental body to distribute within 10 miles of a fee paying landfill site.
Alison Crozier, chair of Threlkeld Toddlers, said: “We are blown away by this grant which now gives us enough funding to proceed.”
Other successful grant applications/donations which have contributed to the project are: Eden District Council, Threlkeld Events Ltd, The Frieda Scott Trust, The Hadfield Trust, Keswick Lions, Cumbria Community Foundation, Skipton Building Society, Lakes and Dales Co-operative Society, Cumberland Building Society and The Towngate Trust.
In addition, various generous donations were received directly or through the Just Giving Page or in a collection bucket in Threlkeld Coffee Shop, plus fundraising events such as a bingo night, fell race and a sponsored walk by local schoolchildren.
“Never was a project more timely as in recent months,” added Alison. “The old play area failed its safety inspections twice resulting in the play equipment being condemned and completely removed.
“So had this project not been launched in 2022, Threlkeld would no longer have a play area at all, with no project to replace it.”
The new equipment will include swings (normal, baby and a nest swing), springers, roundabout and a large climbing tower/slide assembly suitable for a wide age range. They will all be located on an area of all-weather safety surfacing.
In addition, a small unit suitable for babies and toddlers will be located separately in an area with picnic benches aimed at mothers with babies/toddlers, but from where they can see the older children.
Alison Crozier said “We hope that the project will be completed and opened in April 2024. It will be a great asset to the local children and visitors alike.”
