Fundraising drive for new, inclusive play area in north-west village
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A north-west community group aiming to breathe new life into a children's play area is seeking donations to help them purchase new equipment.
Durness Community Group (DCG) are spearheading a project to revamp the play park next to School Road, Durness, after they took steps to secure a 20-year lease on the site.
The group is now actively raising funds to purchase new equipment in a bid to develop a safe play space for children in the village.
DCG have drawn up plans for a new, inclusive play area – designed to be suitable for children of all ages and abilities – and they are appealing for donations from local residents and businesses to help them reach their funding goal.
The multi-phased project also aims to include a ball games area and an outdoor gym area for adults, however, the group insist that the urgent priority is to provide a safe and fun environment for children.
Yvonne Macrae, vice chair of DCG, said: "As a parent myself, there are so few facilities in the area for children, so the play park really is the hub of our community for children to meet up.
"With NC500 traffic coming through, the roads outside our homes aren't always the safest place for kids to play, so we really need to have the play park safe and accessible for all of our children."
Ms Macrae explains that Durness primary school also urgently require use of the play area.
She said: "Without a nursery facility for many years, the school now looks after several infants who desperately need a safe modern play park to play in, as well as the children in the primary school.
"For a small community of only a few hundred people, raising the requisite five-figure sum presents a challenge.
"Even if people could donate just a pound or two, everything adds up and we would be extremely grateful."
The group have set up an online donation site via JustGiving, which can be viewed here.
Cheque donations, payable to Durness Community Group, can be sent to: Treasurer, Durness Community Group, Village Hall, Smoo, Durness, IV27 4QA
