A top team of three schoolchildren helped to raise thousands of pounds to improve their village play park.
Sophia and Rurairdh Barr, both eight, and Teaghan McGinn, who’s nine, were inspired to help when one of the first fundraisers by Elderslie Community Council was poorly attended.
Teaghan’s mum Susan said the kids loved the plans for the park and were worried it wouldn’t go ahead when the quiz night in 2019 had so few people at it.
So they decided to take things into their own hands and start drumming up community support and fundraising.
They wanted to sell their own toys so the first event was a Jack and Jill market with parents in the village donating unwanted clothes and toys to be sold on.
This raised a fantastic £580 and got the ball rolling.
Susan said: “From there I think the kids got a taste for fundraising so me and Eve, Sophia and Ruraidh’s mum, suggested another few things like a backpack at B&M, a kids disco with a raffle, a tombola at the village summer fayre and Christmas fayre.
“The kids also arranged a ‘chuck it in the bucket’ own clothes day at their school, Wallace Primary.
“We had a lot more events planned then lockdown happened.
“We never realised how much work goes in the background but without the community making donations and getting behind our ideas, it would never have been so successful.
“We had so many fantastic donations for raffles and tombolas as well as helpers at events.”
The brand new play park on Queen’s Road in the village was finally opened last month.
It now has a roundabout, a zip wire, climbing frame, a slide, swings, including an accessible one, and a new footpath to make it more accessible and has been well used and loved by children across Elderslie – including the trio of fundraisers.
Sophia, 10, said: “I think the builders were amazing, I think the Elderslie Community Council are amazing and I think the new park is amazing!
“We didn’t have anywhere to play before and now we have this great place to play with our friends.”
“We all really wanted this park to happen,” said Susan.
“The community council put so much thought into it, they did a survey at the school to get all the local kids behind it.
“The kids have really loved it and I think they’ve got a sense of ownership because they were involved in fundraising for it.
“We are so proud of them.”
Linda MacMillan, chair of Elderslie Community Council, said the trio raised around £3,000 for the play park and everyone was very grateful for their efforts.
She said: “This really has been a community effort and we can’t thank everyone enough for all their effort.
“The community has all come together to make this happen and it’s wonderful to see everyone enjoying it.”
