A team of determined parents are working together during the summer holidays to upgrade their children’s playground.
Lochwinnoch Primary School’s drab and grey playground has lain virtually unchanged for years but the parent council has been working alongside teaching staff to try and improve it.
A community event, dubbed TEAM Playground – Together Everyone Achieves More – had to be scrapped due to the lockdown but parents were keen to do what they could to freshen up the outside space ahead of the children’s return in August.
A team of around 40 went along to paint, clean, plant and tidy up the playground earlier this month and another clean-up day is planned for Saturday, August 1 to continue the changes.
Alison Ramsey from the school parent council said: “We were gutted when we had to cancel the TEAM Playground event in May. As it got closer to the school closing for the summer, we realised we might be able to still make some changes, albeit on a smaller scale than we’d hoped.
“The children are likely to be outside a lot more when they return to school so that made this even more important.
“I put a post on the Lochwinnoch Facebook community pages and got a great response.
“I then set up a group with almost 90 members where we share ideas and suggestions for easy and achievable ways to improve things.
“We had our first event and managed to repaint the court markings on the playground, repaint a shelter, local joiner Fraser Kennedy created a climbing frame out of pallets and we also painted the outdoor classroom to brighten it up. Parents and children have also painted rainbows and colourful hopscotch markings and we have a footprint trail for the children to do their daily mile.
“Lots of children came along on the day and they helped to paint the cobbles which link the two buildings in the school and it looks so much brighter now. So many people have said it’s their favourite part of the changes.”
Another day has been planned for Saturday, August 1, between 11am and 4pm and parents and their children are being urged to go along and pick up a paintbrush.
Alison added: “We’ve still got a few jobs left. The Diggin’ It project in the village which has helped families grow their own food during lockdown, has donated 10 planters which will go around the grounds and need painted.
“We’re also creating a path out of old tyres so that the children can use their tightrope in all weathers and we still have some playground markings to finish off.
“We’ve asked children to paint pebbles over the summer holidays and we’re going to create an outdoor art gallery of children and parent’s paintings to brighten up the stone wall along the playground.”
The parent council had been fundraising and also received donations from the Spar, Turnberry Homes and Moran Wealth Management as well as donations of plants from Tesco and Aldi. They also received a donation of paint from The Paint Shed in Paisley.
A fundraising page at www.gofundme.com/team-playground has reached almost £500.
Head teacher Julie Bell said: “I am so excited about the TEAM Playground project and so grateful to our parent council for driving this forward.
“I see the enjoyment the children get in better weather when we can open our front and back playgrounds and they are able to play in greener space.
“However during very wet months we can only access the main playground which at the moment is rather uninspiring.
“We would love to see all areas of the playground brightened up for the benefit of all, both children here in school and in our wider community, and hope the whole community will get behind us to help.”
The parent council is keen to hear from anyone who can donate gravel to help them fill the tyres to create the path. Anyone who think they can help can contact lpsteamplayground@gmail.com
