A new community group is aiming to revitalise Knighton's local play park

A community-led project is aiming to revitalise Knighton's local play park.

Tref-y-Clawdd Play Park Project is a new community group formed with the aim of improving the play equipment at the park beside Knighton Community Centre.

One of the pieces of play equipment has been removed recently due to health and safety reasons, and the group say the park is now very sparsely equipped, with much of the remaining equipment having been there for a considerable number of years and is not very accommodating for children of all ages or with disabilities.

Unfortunately, Powys County Council currently has no funding available to support improvements to the park.

As a result, a group of local residents decided to come together and form the Tref-y-Clawdd Play Park Project to raise the funds needed to purchase new equipment and improve the park for local children and young people.

A spokesperson for the group said: “An important first step was to find out what local people wanted from their play park.

“We carried out a community survey to gather the views of children, young people and adults, asking what improvements they would most like to see.

“The response was incredibly encouraging and clearly highlighted both the importance of the park to local families and the need for investment.

“Our children's survey revealed that 110 children and young people took the time to complete the survey, 99 children (90%) said they enjoy visiting the park and 93 children (84.5%) felt that the park needs improving.

“The adult survey also reinforced the need for change. While 54% of adults and young people said they visit the park weekly, 40% reported being very dissatisfied with the current facilities.

“Overall, the park received an average rating of just 1.87 out of 5 for its existing facilities.

“This feedback has given us a valuable insight into what our community would like to see and will help guide our plans to ensure that any improvements reflect the needs, wishes and aspirations of local families.

“We are now working hard to raise the money needed to make these improvements a reality.”

The group is applying for funding from national organisations and trusts, as well as organising a variety of local fundraising events.

They have already received fantastic support from the community, including a very successful quiz night at The Banc in Knighton and a Halloween disco, kindly donated by Sparks Disco.

The spokesperson added: “We have also been extremely grateful to receive cash donations from local businesses, including Midcounties Co-op and Knighton Building Merchants. Every contribution, no matter how big or small, brings us one step closer to achieving our goal.

“We are particularly keen to involve local children and young people in the project, as the park is ultimately being improved for them.

“We have recently been working alongside Years 2 and 3 at Knighton Primary School, whose topic this term is learning about being 'Knighton Community Consultants'

“The children have enthusiastically got involved by helping us create a banner to encourage support for the play park project. There have also been discussions about the pupils coming up with their own fundraising ideas to help raise money towards the improvements.

“Unfortunately, new play equipment is extremely expensive, and although we have made a positive start, we still have a considerable way to go before we can begin putting our plans into action.

“We are therefore asking for the continued support of our local community to help us reach our fundraising target.”

People can support the group by making a donation through their GoFundMe page at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/trefyclawdd-play-park-project

They would also love to hear from any local businesses, organisations or community groups who may be interested in supporting the project, whether through a financial donation, sponsorship or fundraising activity.

If anyone would like to get involved or find out more, get in touch with them at: [email protected]