SUPERMARKET staff were invited to check-out a new outdoor play area after raising hundreds of pounds for its development.
Co-operative staff at West Park raised more than £800 with a charity ladies’ night at the nearby White Heifer pub in Darlington.
They presented the windfall to children at West Park Academy who have been instrumental in designing an outdoor area that has become a community area for play and reflection.
The facility features an adventure playground, a sensory garden, an outdoor learning space providing shelter and a storage container for local groups.
The facility was made possible with funding from the Community Covenant Grant, which secured £38,500 towards the cost.
Fundraising within the academy to supplement the scheme has already exceeded the £4,000 mark towards a target figure of £10,000, the Co-op donation being a welcome boost to the coffers.
Co-op staff member Danielle Bolam, whose children Connor, nine and Ben, four, attend the school, said: “This was the first event we had organised and there was an amazing response from staff at the store, school and local businesses who donated raffle prizes. We also secured a sponsor in Evans Halshaw Ford, which was great.”
Her colleague Sarah Scratchard added: “Everyone had a fantastic time and it is great to support the local schoolchildren who have done a tremendous job developing such a great community facility.”
Principal Catherine Thompson added: “The area is really taking off and becoming a superb resource for the whole community. We are very grateful to the Co-op staff for their generosity and vision.”
The project comprises a sensory garden with access for people with disabilities, textured footpaths for barefoot strolls, outdoor musical instruments and mirrors, a mud garden for digging, and a place for quiet reflection in an area where there is no nearby church.
It also features an adventure trail to encourage healthy lifestyle activities and develop skills; a bandstand-cum-gazebo that doubles as an outdoor classroom for 30 pupils; and it provides storage for local groups including guides, brownies, scouts and the Army.
