£45,000 to transform playground 'quagmire' in village near Grantham
A village playground that has become a muddy “quagmire” is set to be transformed into a £45,000 asset and focal point for the community.
The facilities at Rippingale playing field in South Kesteven have deteriorated since they were installed around 20 years ago.
The ground regularly becomes boggy and the slide, swings, seesaw and climbing frame are no longer up to scratch.
Parents are said to be frustrated with the situation prompting the parish council to launch a fund-raising bid to refit the park with new, top-of-the-range equipment.
So far they have amassed more than £27,000 through their own contingency funds, the district council community fund and local fund-raising.
And they are hoping to make up the shortfall with a grant application to the Garfield Weston Foundation.
Chris Charlton, chairman of Rippingale Parish Council, said the revamped playground would make a huge difference to villagers.
He said: “One of the major issues is the ground which is so muddy. When it was put in there was no playing surface and it’s a quagmire at the moment.
“People do use it but it’s badly worn and looks old. Corby Glen has a new playing field and it just looks completely different and fit for purpose. That’s what we want.”
The playing field was donated to the village for recreational use by a benefactor in 1977, during the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. Since then it has been looked after by the Rippingale Jubilee Playing Field Trust charity.
The parish council and associated charity are also looking to include fitness equipment for teens and adults to use, to help them “maintain a healthy lifestyle”.
It is hoped this may also reduce antisocial behaviour in the area by giving young people something to do.
The grant bid states: “A new facility would prove to be a focal point for the village, where the community can meet and socialise, in company with their children.
“It is calculated that a modernised area would promote leisure for and benefit up to 950 villagers, including a wide age range of children.”
- To support the playground fund-raising bid visit the crowdfunding page at www.spacehive.com
