A YOUTH group and residents who won a video competition to help fund a brand new £150,000 play park are celebrating its opening in time for the school holidays.

The park, which was jointly designed by local people, is the first phase of a scheme to enhance Cinderford’s Miners Welfare Playing Field off Barley Corn Square, and has already seen children flock to try it out.

Alethea Bumpstead of the Forest of Dean Youth Association and members of the Kings Walk residents’ association produced a video showing people engaging with the field with autumn leaves, which scooped the £50,000 match funding prize from play park specialists Kompan UK.

And added to £100,000 of section 106 money from the town’s Kings Walk development, youngsters now have a fantastic place to play.

Kompan said of the competition entry: “Our judges loved your autumn leaves-themed video recreating the KOMPAN man.”

Alethea and PCSO Sue Pritchard of the Forest Neighbourhood Policing Team also undertook a ‘rich picturing’ drawing exercise with park users to understand what was needed there, which was supported by Cinderford Town Council and Cinderford Football Club.

Town council chairman Cllr Chris Witham said: “The new play park is an exciting start to a much wider development scheme for the Miners Welfare Playing Field.

“The park was jointly funded by 106 monies raised from the Kings Walk development and £50,000 that was won by residents entering a competition.

“Alethea Bumpstead from the Forest of Dean Youth Association along with Simon and Alison from the residents’ association organised a video entry showing people engaging with the field.

“PCSO Sue Pritchard and Alethea Bumpstead undertook a rich picturing exercise with park users to understand what they were looking for.

“The results from this along with a proposal from the residents’ association and input from Cinderford Football Club was considered by Cinderford Town Council before the scheme was agreed.

“Further developments that are in progress will see the skate park relocated to the MWPF, the introduction of a pave running track around the outside of the field, further improvements to the CCTV and new planting schemes to create wildlife areas.”

Residents were quick to praise the new play area, Phil Morgan posting: “Great park, so many people there earlier, great to see, well done!”

And Helen Charlton-Wright added: “Let’s hope people enjoy it and respect it for a number of years. I also enjoyed my childhood days at the Rec, many happy memories. Enjoy it kids.”

To see the competition-winning video, go to www.facebook.com/KompanUK/posts/1451094925040338