Park fundraisers pass cash target for play equipment
A Crieff community group has smashed a £70,000 fundraising target.
Friends of MacRosty Park has been aiming to reach the ambitious benchmark for the last two years to install all-ability play equipment.
And additional money, received through a combination of funding sources and donations from locals, means five pieces of apparatus are set to be installed in time for summer instead of the original three.
Sandra Lowe, secretary of Friends of MacRosty Park, praised the people of Crieff for getting behind a project designed to promote inclusion for all.
She said:“We are very excited as we now have illustrated plans and are very hopeful that the all-ability equipment will be in the park for this year’s summer season.
“Perth and Kinross Council is just about to put the plans out to tender so all going well we should have our final costs by mid-April.
“We are installing five larger pieces of equipment alongside the existing toddler area.
“These will include a wheelchairaccessible trampoline and roundabout, a four-person see-saw, two all-ability The Friends of MacRosty Park swings and a memory swing.
“There are also plans for between six to eight sensory play panels which will be installed around the park but these may be a little later in going in.
“We must say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped us along the way, whether they are volunteers, fundraisers, locals, businesses or everyday park users. We have been overwhelmed with the local support.”
Sandra added:“We are still fundraising to ensure we have enough for the ever-rising cost of services and equipment.
“A recent coffee morning at Duchlage Court, organised by Siusaidh-Naimh Johnston, made a fantastic £757.
“Sean O’Donnell had nine inches cut from his fringe, raising £400 for our project and a fantastic donation to the Little Princess Trust.
“Fiona O’Donnell and Sam Park have organised a very quickly sold-out ladies’ day this Sunday at Crieff Golf Club and Mairi-Jane Grimes has turned her birthday celebrations into a charity hoe-down for us on May 4 at the British Legion.”
Friends of MacRosty Park also had the majority of voters - 700- at the Strathearn Decides event last month, gaining them £3885.