New playground will be unveiled at Wirral school this weekend (From Wirral Globe)

New playground will be unveiled at Wirral school this weekend

1:53pm Monday 28th June 2010 in News By Craig Manning

A NEW playground at Elleray Park school in Wallasey will be officially opened this weekend.

The £50,000 facility - funded by public donations and local authority funds as part of the extended schools fund - will be unveiled by Wirral's mayor, Cllr Alan Jennings, this Saturday at 11am. The opening will be followed by a summer fair.

Features of the new playground include a climbing frame with wheelchair access and a sensory garden for use by children with multiple learning difficulties. There is also an area designed for use as an outdoor learning area.

The Parent Teachers and Friends Association had organised a number of events to raise funds for the playground, including discos, Christmas and summer fairs and quizzes, which had a great response from the public.

Gillian Eccles, business manager at the school, which caters for children with special educational needs, told the Globe: "We've spent about five years trying raise money to produce this new playground.

"It's been built within the last five weeks and the children are already enjoying it, but we’d like to officially open it to say to thanks to all the people that have helped us raise the money; that's all our local communities and charities.

"We're really pleased that the Mayor's coming, because it really makes the day special.

"At one stage I don't think we thought our dream of creating a new playground would become a reality. Two years down the line when your funds are minimal and you start getting quotes in of what it's going to cost, it's very daunting.

"But once we had the extra funding from the extended schools fund, we were able to get push on with the project."

Claire McGuinness, from the school's PTFA, said: "It's been hardwork organising the fundraising events, but when you see the finished product you realise that it’s all been worth it."