Residents in Lennoxtown have a fantastic new play park thanks to a £50,000 grant from funding body WREN, alongside council funding. The grant, awarded by WREN’s FCC Scottish Action Fund, along with a £10,000 investment from East Dunbartonshire Council, has created a modern, safe play park on Bencloich Road in the east of the village.
Local residents and community groups, including the former Campsie Community Council and the Lennoxtown Project Group, asked the Council to consider building a new children’s play park in the area. In response, the Council held a series of consultation events which attracted some 707 responses which marked the biggest community response to any play park consultation.
Councillor Susan Murray, Vice-convener of the Place, Neighbourhood & Corporate Assets Committee, said, “Outdoor play is an important part of children’s development and this new play park in Lennoxtown is a great example of how such a facility can really enhance the local area.
“The design of the play park has been shaped by extensive consultation with the community. The end result is a fantastic new facility which provides a safe place to play and a focal point for children and their parents and carers for many years to come.”
WREN is a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community, biodiversity and heritage projects.
WREN Grant Manager Sophie Cade, said, “WREN is always pleased to support grass roots community play projects. The dedication of the community group has really paid off and we are thrilled to have been able to support such an important project for Bencloich.”The Bencloich play park has been designed for use by children from toddlers up to 12 years of age. It features modern play equipment on safety surfacing within a gated area. It includes various swings, slides and climbing frames and has transformed an unused greenspace into a much-welcomed, and already much-used, community resource.