Partnership Celebrates Funding Success for Play Projects

The Selby District Play Partnership, which brings together a range of organisations delivering services for young people, is celebrating a £200,000 cash injection for five new projects to deliver new facilities for young people across the district.

The money will be used to deliver five new schemes, including improvements to facilities at Eversley Park in Sherburn, a new BMX track at Hemingbrough, the development of Selby Park and a brand new project in South Milford to enable young people to play in the natural environment.

In addition, the funding will also be used to introduce new ‘play rangers’ who will work with young people on particular play projects. These schemes are part of a long-term strategy developed by the Selby District Play Partnership as part of the recently agreed Play Strategy, which aims to ensure that all young people in the area have access to good quality play facilities and the opportunities to use them.

Chair of the Selby District Play Partnership, Cllr. Gillian Ivey, said, “With the funding now secured we can start work on these exciting projects, all of which should be completed by the end of summer 2009. Enabling young people to access innovative play facilities has so many benefits for the children themselves, as well as the rest of the community.

The new ranger service will also help to ensure that everyone has equal access to the investment in play facilities, wherever they live – a really important priority for a rural area such as Selby.”

Young people themselves have been involved in developing the new schemes, as part of a commitment from the Play Partnership to ensure that the new facilities meet their needs.

Head teacher of Athelstan Primary School in Sherburn in Elmet, Karen O’Donnell, added: “It’s great to see that funding is now in place to develop new play facilities across the district. In Sherburn the money will be used to support the further development of Eversley Park with brand new facilities. Good play facilities help young people to develop a range of skills that will help them throughout their lives. Play facilities enable children to stay healthy and safe as well as helping to give young people a sense of achievement and contributing to the development of key language and social skills.”