Huntly parents raise incredible sum for Gordon Primary School playground
A hard-working team of parents and teachers have been “overwhelmed” by the success of their campaign to improve a school playground.
Gordon Primary School’s PTA have raised more than £25,000 in less than a year to buy new playground equipment - which could be in place by March.
Key to the success was a grant from the Vattenfall Clashindarroch Wind Farm Community Fund, which awarded the group £13,624.
Group secretary Sarah-Jane Stewart, whose son is in Primary 2, had a personal reason for leading the fundraising effort.
“I went to that school, and my husband and parents went there,” she said.
“And when I was there, 40 years ago, it had a huge wooden fort.
“But now it is so sad, there hasn’t been any investment from the council due to funding cuts, like anywhere else.
“The kids deserve to have a lovely playground with equipment for everyone to play with because, at the moment, it’s basically just grass and a bit of dirt.”
A final decision on which play equipment should be purchased with the cash was still to be confirmed, however the PTA has received quotes from specialist companies.
Sarah-Jane said that, among the items of play equipment being considered are: “striding stilts, a clatter bridge, musical panels, a balance beam, a scramble climber, zig zag steps, chime tree, bell flowers, and a bongo tree”.
The equipment will be located in the play area reserved for Primary 1 and 2 pupils, which will also receive a new wet pour surface.
Children in Primary 1 and 2 currently have no outdoor playground equipment.
Due to the accessible location, the PTA secretary said improvements would be usable by the wider community and other year groups will be given chances to enjoy them.
The PTA opted mostly for wooden equipment, she added, so that the playground “will stand the test of time”.
Sarah-Jane paid tribute to the “absolutely phenomenal” support that the effort received from grant schemes, local businesses and the wider community.
“People really resonated with what we are trying to achieve,” she said.
“A huge, huge thank you to the Vattenfall Community Fund, because without them we would not have been able to do it this quickly.
“Huge thanks to them for believing in our project, we are incredibly lucky.”
The project also received donations from RB Farquhar, Subsea 7, the Over-50s Club, Long Technologies, Baxter’s, Walker’s Shortbread and The Glendronach, as well as further grants from Aberdeenshire Council’s ACT2 Grant and the Drummuies Community Fund.
And fundraising events by the PTA also generated an impressive £6000.
The group is hosting a free-entry Christmas Fayre on November 23, with a Santa’s Grotto, crafts, face painting, Chrismas shopping stalls and a mince pie coffee morning.
Kayleigh Nicholls, PTA treasureer and parent council member, said the group’s next project was replacing sheds within the school grounds and installing CCTV to keep new play equipment from being damaged.
Sarah-Jane added: “We are not stopping there, our intention is to improve equipment for every other year group in the school as well.
“This is just the start.
“It has really been a mission, and I’m overwhelmed to see that we have reached this point by the end of the year.
“But We have got here a lot quicker than anybody ever expected we would.
She said she was very proud of the committee for its work on the project, along with the fundraising events which have been “very well supported”.
She encouraged anybody interested in joining the PTA to contact them at: gordonprimarypta@outlook.com
