Following the new playground re-opening on Friday 8th April with phase 1 work now complete, Ilkley Town Council have announced a significant donation towards the phase 2 development work.
Ilkley Town Mayor Councillor Mark Stidworthy commented: “I am delighted that Ilkley Town Council was able to make a significant award of £25,000 towards Phase 2 of the playground development, and to accelerate the positive transformation being made in the Riverside Parks by the Friends group. Ilkley's parks should offer enjoyment for all ages, so we are pleased that the main piece of equipment we are contributing is aimed at older children. We hope that other funders follow in the Town Council's footsteps to enable Phases 2 and 3 of the development to be completed as soon as possible.”
Pauline Munro, Deputy Chair of the Friends of Ilkley Riverside Parks group commented; “We are absolutely thrilled with the support we have received from the Town Council and this substantial donation towards the renovation work is a real game-changer. We are very grateful for their generous donation which shows their commitment to the on-going refurbishment of the playground. We are now able to move forward with phase 2 development work and we’re well on the way to meeting our fundraising target of £90,000 - there’s still a way to go so we’re still very keen to hear from businesses and individuals who would like to get involved and support the project.”
Phase 1 renovation costs were covered by £150,000 from Bradford Metropolitan District Council, to replace the majority of the play equipment including the toddler and sensory play area.
The Easter holidays have already seen many local families enjoying the new play area, with children and parents commenting on how much new play equipment there was to explore.
The generous donation from the Town Council means playground supplier Kompan will now be able to start work on phase 2 work, with the giant ‘WharfeWave’ rope swing likely to be installed in early summer.
Friends of Ilkley Riverside Parks are continuing the fundraising efforts to raise a further £55,000 to see the existing climbing net in the playground replaced by a fantastic 6-metre tall climbing, sliding and twisting structure called the ‘Ilkley Moor Climb’. This will add a real wow-factor to the play area and offer more varied play opportunities for older children, which the playground currently lacks.
Sponsors can expect several benefits such as logos on permanent signage at the playground, social media acknowledgements, media coverage, and for contributions over £5,000 you will be part of the ribbon-cutting event when the new playground is completed later this year.
For more details visit https://www.friends-of-ilkley-riverside-parks.com to download a sponsorship pack, or email foirp2@gmail.com and one of the team will get back to you.
Individuals can also donate via JustGiving at www.justgiving.com/foirpuk or by text (max £20 donation, send the word PARKS to 70085) you’ll find full details on the ‘donations’ page of the Friends of Ilkley Riverside Parks website.
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