A RUNDOWN village playground has been transformed thanks to the efforts of fund-raisers.

The park at Pond Street, High Shincliffe, near Durham City, has had almost £90,000 spent on giving it a complete makeover.

Rusty old play equipment dating from the 1960s has been replaced with the latest models and the park’s football pitch is getting an artificial surface.

The village has been raising money for more than two years and netted £5,000 itself by holding charity events while the bulk of the money came in grants from funding providers.

Villagers Jane Rann and Claire Ketley got the ball rolling and are delighted with the final result.

The new-look park has been open a few weeks and an official opening event was held on Friday (Friday, April 17).

Mrs Ketley, who has two sons aged seven and five, said: “There was play park equipment here but it was so old.

“It was 1960s. There was concrete, a slide that was 1.7 metres high - it was a really big slide - and when they came to take it down it fell apart, it was so old and rusted. There were a couple of swings there as well.

“It looks so much better now. The park was always busy but now it is always swamped. It is really good now, it has been a long time coming.

“We have a big centrepiece with turrets, a flag and climbing wall and periscope. There are loads of little bits to it, there’s lots of climbing in there.

“We have a toddler house, some really nice swings, a basket swing, and a new roundabout.

“There was one broken bench in there before but now we have got five really nice benches.

“We have a new seesaw, a new springer and even new bins and a wet pour surface instead of the concrete that used to be there.

“It has been a long journey, but well worth it.”

Mrs Ketley applied for funding with the support of the Shincliffe Community Association. The events held locally included a chip butty ball at the local WI hut, a toddle in the park, a treasure hunt and a gastro night at a Durham hotel.

The bulk of the money came from the Impetus Environmental Trust, which distributes Landfill Community Fund money, the

James Knott Trust, Muckle Solicitors, Cllr David Stoker, the Durham Area Action Partnership, Shincliffe Parish Council and the County Durham Community Foundation.

Mrs Ketley said she was delighted with the support the project had received.