Situated just over 10 miles from British Gypsum’s Kirkby Thore plant, the village park at Warcop was in desperate need of a revamp.
The play equipment had become tired and unsafe, leaving local families without an outdoor social space to enjoy with their children.
But thanks to a series of donations and the community pulling together with fundraising drives and bids for grant support, the village has now been able to entirely revitalise the local park and provide an important social space for children and families.
The community efforts have seen the plaudits roll in and put a smile on the faces of local children. The project started in September 2020, when Warcop Parish Council got the ball rolling by hosting community events and lobbying for support from local businesses and larger corporations in order to get the restorations under way.
Over time, Warcop Play Park’s online JustGiving page generated nearly £400 from local supporters alone.
Also helping were important donations from the National Lottery Awards for All scheme, the Cumbria Community Foundation, The Hadfield Trust, The Frieda Scott Charitable Trust, The Eden Community Fund, Tesco Community Grants and Cumbria County Council. A final donation of £2,000 from British Gypsum helped the campaigners reach their total fundraising target of £62,000.
The park’s renovation took around eight weeks, from the removal of the old playground equipment to the completed installation of the new play set.
Finally opening to the public in August 2022, the park’s restoration journey was documented on a community-run Facebook page, under the name of Warcop Play Park.
The new inclusive playground now boasts two toddler swings, two standard swings, a basket swing, a rocking frog, a spinning saucer, and a large activity tower complete with two slides and a zip wire – all of which have been well received by local children.
Katie Hauser, a councillor for Warcop Parish Council, said: “The new playground is a great asset to the village and the local community. The children have had to play on old, tired swings and a slide for a very long time. It’s now an amazing space where children and adults can meet and play safely. This project came at the perfect time to give our community a great boost after being affected by the COVID-19 lockdowns.”
Since the playground opened in August, there has been a huge increase in visitors to the Cumbrian village, helping to reduce social isolation and contributing to residents’ wellbeing.
British Gypsum said it strives to be a good neighbour to the communities living and working around each of its sites and supports local charitable projects that leave a lasting positive legacy through its Building Better Communities programme.
To find out more and apply for community support, visit british-gypsum.com/local-communities
British Gypsum mines, mills and manufactures with British-based gypsum, and says it collaborates to make positive contributions to the communities that surround its site.
