ON September 11, a long-awaited playground was opened in the Herefordshire village of Little Dewchurch. Thanks to a £45,000 Changing Spaces grant from Groundwork UK and the Big Lottery Fund, a donation of £10,000 from the Parish Council and a grant of £4,000 from the Hereford Community Foundation, the new playground offers a much needed resource for children in the village – and beyond.

The official opening of the playground was organised by the Little Dewchurch Adventure Trail Group (LDATG) who have been working for over two years to secure funding and then organise the building of the new playground. The playground is sited on an existing recreation ground in the village.

Over 50 children and their families attended and were treated to free ice creams and refreshments. Entertainment was provided by the Melody Dance Group as well as the various games and activities that were offered by villagers.

Tom Canham, LDATG Committee Member, welcomed all to the official opening and paid tribute to the hard work of the committee. He thanked those who had been involved in getting the playground constructed, and especially thanked the children of Little Dewchurch for suggesting the playground in the first place - a decision to build a new playground was made after Parish Plan research suggested that although children enjoyed living in the village, there were no play facilities for them.

Carole Simpkins, Chairman of LDATG, added: “It’s great to see so many children here today. The new playground will offer fantastic play opportunities for them in the future – and ensure they get lots of healthy exercise!” Her daughter, Laura, age 8, added: “I love the park. My friends do too. Lots of other children come and join us when we are up here playing.”