Information Bulletin
30 March 2007
Cunningsburgh Play Area Opens
The refurbished Cunningsburgh play area was officially opened yesterday to the delight of around 60 local children and adults who turned out to see the culmination of eighteen months of planning and construction. Head of the Schools Service for Shetland Islands Council, Helen Budge, was on hand to cut the ribbon and declare the play area open at around 1.30pm.
The play area is next to Cunningsburgh Primary School where it is accessible to members of the local community at all times of the day. Access to the site has now been improved with the provision of a tarmac footpath linking the school’s nursery and local youth club with the play area. Ten items of play equipment are included in the play area, such as the ever popular cableway and a modern version of a roundabout, the 'Supernova'.
Staff from the Council’s Sport and Leisure Service have led the development of the site, in partnership with the pupil council and staff from Cunningsburgh Primary School, who contributed greatly to the design of the play area. Future maintenance, inspection and insurance of the play area will also be undertaken by staff from the Council's Sport and Leisure Service.
Head Teacher at Cunningsburgh Primary School, Lesley Simpson, commented – "This is the completion of a long project that has fully involved local schoolchildren throughout. We are delighted with the results and so pleased that there was a large turnout from the community for the opening. This is now an excellent community facility and we are also developing the rest of our school grounds as part of the Ecoschools initiative."
The play area was built at a cost of around £75,000 as part of the Council’s Capital Projects programme, in response to increasing local demand over a number of years. The majority of the play area equipment is from specialist Danish manufacturer, Kompan, and the construction work was carried out by local firm Frank Johnston Limited of Tingwall.
ENDS