Colvend Primary School and the local community celebrated the official opening of a £50,000 community sports facility.
Proceedings got under way with landowner Mrs Nova Gourlay cutting the ribbon at 11am to declare the multi-use sports ground open. A celebration cake was cut to mark the occasion before spectators enjoyed the schoolchildren competing in the “Colvend Olympics”.
Queen of the South mascot Dougie the Doonhamer was on hand to present the pupils with their medals.
A parade behind an 2012 Olympic torch gave the occasion an added touch of celebrity.
The new activities hub is the culmination of two years’ work to turn a farmer’s field into a running track and games area with a spectators’ shelter.
New equipment has also been purchased for football, lacrosse, children’s rugby, tennis and netball.
Kirkgunzeon and Palnackie – Colvend’s partner primaries in the three-school cluster – will use the facility for their own sports days. It will also be available to the wider community.
Almost the entire development came with a “made in Colvend” label. Local businesses, the school, the parent council, the community council and the landowner all pulled together to make the facility a reality.
Community council vice-chairman and project manager Simon Pain said: “This has been very much done by the community with every level of the community involved.”
A “thank-you” tree was dedicated to the community council by the school parent council.
