Kids are set to have fun again thanks to the Western Isles Lottery

An application was made to the Western Isles Lottery for grant assistance and the project was successful having now been awarded funding in the sum of £3,000.

A new committee was formed in August 2020 with the main goal being to make the park fully inclusive so that children of all abilities and ages can safely enjoy its facilities.

The Upper Barvas playpark is more than 20 years old and was in desperate need of an upgrade. The underside of the main multi-play unit is rusty and dangerous and will, if nothing is done, very shortly be completely unsafe for children to use.

Shona Mairi Kerr, heading the funding campaign, said “We are increasingly aware of the huge benefits outdoor play has on children's mental and physical health. We aim to create a space that is fun and challenging for children of all abilities from all areas of the island.

"The Upper Barvas Playpark Committee is so thankful for this donation from the Western Isles Lottery. Thanks to this donation we are now a good bit closer to reaching our target. The donation will go towards replacing the climbing frame with a new inclusive multiplay and we now have these funds to lever in match-funding from other areas”

Ongoing fundraising activities are being carried out by the playpark committee in their attempts to upgrade the park to the standard they have set themselves.

Janet Paterson of Western Isles Lottery said “Yet again, we feel privileged to support a project which will benefit the wider Community by providing enhanced facilities for children. The funding has been solely raised by Supporters of the Lottery throughout the Ness & Westside area”.

“To date, £20,274 has been raised in the area with many varied grants having been awarded between the Eoropie Playpark and Carloway Community Centre. There are currently two further applications being approved in the area and updates on these will follow in the coming weeks.”

To join the Lottery and help support your local community, you can join in by going to the website at: www.westernisleslottery.co.uk