Those involved in the Friends of Stamfordham Play Park project have been working to raise the funds needed to revamp the run-down playground in the village.
The £65,000 target has now been raised and the play park will be officially opened on Sunday, August 13 at 10.30am.
A final fundraiser – a ceilidh – will be held to raise funds for finishing touches, and will take place at Stamfordham Village Hall at 7pm on Saturday, July 22, with PanHaggerty ceilidh band. There will be a chilli and rice supper followed by Eton Mess, and a bar and raffle.
The Rev. Rachel Scheffer, a committee member for Friends of Stamfordham Play Park and vicar for Stamfordham and Matfen, said: “It will be a celebration of 18 months hard work – everything from coffee mornings to Stamfordham’s Got Talent and Burns Night and all sorts of different events.
“There is great community spirit, we knew we needed a new play park, and as a bonus it has really brought the village together.
“A couple of the mums had the idea to start raising money for a new play park. They had raised about £80 in September 2015. For the children there isn’t really anything else in the village other than fields. It feels like an amazing achievement for a little village to do such a huge fundraising effort in such a short amount of time.”
Mrs Scheffer said the play park was well on its way to being completed, with the safety flooring being the main addition to come. The final funds raised will be used for finishing touches, such as waste bins.
To reserve a place at the village ceilidh contact Peter Lombard on (01661) 886331.
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