Pa1s’ dream is to make it child’s play for everyone

Charity wants to ‘change society’ by creating Scotland’s first all-inclusive play park

“We want to change society, we don’t want to build a play park.” That is the ethos of a group of Dunfermline pa1s who are well on the way to creating the first all-inclusive play park of its kind in Scotland.

Their amazing £150,000 plan started out very simply. A group of local men aiming to improve their health and fitness joined up to the Dunfermline Football Fans in Training programme.

That was back in September 2011 and when the 12-week course ended they decided that wouldn’t be the end of the road for their fitness goals or their friendship.

Trustee John Nicol said they had initially started out fundraising by the usual methods, such as Kiltwalk, for local charities. The team was highly successful at that, but then wondered whether to set up a charity, not competing with any others already established.

And then came the idea – it was on one of their regular walks that they spied a wheelchair-bound child missing out on the fun as their siblings enjoyed the local play park. Heartbreaking to see, the group made a decision – every youngster has the right to play, regardless of any disability they may have.

And so the charity – Play As One Scotland – was born.

“We thought, this is what we are going to do because kids need to be able to play not only on one day a year,” said Mr Nicol.

Since then attention has turned to unlocking funding for the scheme, which has been a steep learning curve as they worked out what equipment would best serve the needs of all children.

That includes a quiet area for children with autism and a swing that takes a wheelchair.

“We have had so many challenges but we have kept moving towards our target,” added Mr Nicol.

“Despite the incredible amount of hurdles we have never stopped.”

Now it is hoped work could be about to start to transform a rather tired traditional play park near the car park entrance to Dunfermline’s “jewel in the crown” Pittencrieff Park.

If there are no hitches, it could be ready for playtime by the end of the year.

“We are all from Dunfermline, it is a place we love and it was always our ambition to have this play park here.”

He added it was not just about play, but about changing attitudes and making sure everyone was treated equally. “It is about getting kids from an early age to understand and appreciate each other, learning to play together and that they are all the same,” he said.

Picture: Steven Brown. Left: John Nicol of Play As One Scotland. Above: artist’s impressions of what the proposed accessible play park will look like.

Organisers behind the new charity hope to be able to transform a play park in Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline, to one that is accessible to children with disabilities.