Hundreds attend as brand new Doncaster play park opens
Hundreds of people have attended the opening of a new Doncaster play park.
The revamped play area at Thorne Memorial Park was officially unveiled at the weekend – with youngsters enjoying free ice creams and balloons.
A spokesperson for Thorne-Moorends Town Council praised the “fantastic turnout” and added: “Despite the weather, the community came out in force to celebrate the opening of our brand-new playpark.
"With over 300 goody bags, 400 ice creams, and 500 balloons handed out, plus bouncy castles and train rides, it was a brilliant day for families and children alike.
“A huge thank you to our councillors, chair of the Working Group Susan Durant, contractors Wicksteed, JHA Architecture, and the National Lottery Community Fund for making this project a reality.
"A special thanks to our local primary schools for their engagement from the very start – helping design the boards and even testing out the equipment.
“Finally, we appreciate the hard work of our council staff in bringing everything together.
"We hope everyone had a fantastic time and will continue to enjoy and take care of this fantastic new space.”
Last year, the council was awarded £97,249.00 funding for the revamp.
At the time, a spokesperson said: "The funding will be used alongside the money already allocated by the council to deliver a much-needed improved play park at Thorne Memorial Park.”
The existing play park was removed due to failing an inspection in June 2023 – and since then councillors and staff have been working behind the scenes to deliver a new park.
After conducting research, the council recognised that the existing playpark did not cater to children of all ages and abilities and those with diverse needs.
The spokesperson added: “It recognised that the budget it had would not deliver what the community needed so began its journey with The National Lottery Community Fund to obtain funding, consult with local children and families and work with playpark providers to put together a design which was inclusive, creative and tied into our local area.
"We recognise that the process has taken longer to complete than we would have liked, but we hope that you all agree that the new design will be worth the wait.”