£100,000 grant secured to rejuvenate play park in Gonerby Hill Foot

A community group has secured a grant of £100,000 to renovate a play park in Gonerby Hill Foot.

The Gonerby Hill Foot Park Action Group is hopeful that a project to rejuvenate the park on Gonerby Road opposite Maltings Lane will be completed within the next year after securing grant funding.

Formed back in October 2020, the GHF Park Action Group has been working on a project to replace the play equipment at the park that has been there for at least a quarter of a century.

James Noon, secretary for the GHF Park Action Group which has six committee members, said: “It took us a little while, we did some community surveys and consultations.”

“We spoke with the school and got the kids to draw some pictures. We spoke to Littleleaps which is the nursery and got a want and need from the community.

“We then started working on what we wanted to get out of it. We want to completely rip it out and put brand new equipment within the existing fenced area.”

A grant of £100,000 has recently been secured from FCC Environment, a waste management company.

The park is owned and operated by South Kesteven District Council, who has also contributed with £5,000 in grant funding and will handle the maintenance the new equipment once installed.

An SKDC spokesperson said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Gonerby Hill Foot Park Action Group to secure improved play facilities here for young people into the future.”

James continued: “It’s taken a long time to get there but it’s really starting to kick along now. Within the next 12 months, we will have a park built and ready to play with.

“District Councillor Kaffy Rice-Oxley has been really helpful. She’s helped things to move along and contributed £500 from her ward grant.”

He said that most of the current play equipment had been there for “at least 25 years”.

“Weirdly, my mum was on the committee when they did it the first time round. It’s just a bit random how that’s worked out. I’ve always lived in this neck of the woods,” he added.

Coun Rice-Oxley said: “I am thrilled that the Park Action Group has been awarded substantial external grant funding and is also being generously supported by local businesses.

“I was delighted to donate my ward grant to the park fund and the council is helping to support the project as it moves from the planning stage into reality!

“This brand new play equipment will make a huge difference to young families in Gonerby Hill Foot, who will soon have somewhere really fun to play, within walking distance from home.

“I cannot praise Steve and James and the other members of the Park Action Group enough. This project is already several years in the making and their tenacity and community spirit will soon achieve something amazing for local families.”

The group is still looking for businesses to support the project. You can get in touch with the group about this by emailing ghfparkaction@gmail.com