12:22pm Sunday 7th February 2010
YOUNG people in north Durham are set to benefit from a cash boost to fund play grounds.
The 14 area action partnerships across County Durham have been asked to work with their local communities to nominate three new play site developments in their area.
The Mid Durham Rural West Area Action Partnership has nominated Addison Park in Brandon, Cornsay Colliery and Waterhouses to be put forward for consideration.
In the next few months a county panel will have the task of short listing these to around ten play sites, which could then access up to £50,000 each from the national Playbuilder scheme.
Co-ordinator Andy Coulthard said: “Our area is a mix of urban and rural with a lot of outlying villages in need of support.
“These projects are a starting point and we will continue to work with partners to improve young people's provision across our area.”
The Playbuilder Scheme is a national drive to develop and improve outdoor and natural play throughout England and representatives from the AAP gave consideration to a number of play areas in their patch before coming up with a short list.
Representatives from the AAP have also worked with Esh Parish Council and the local county councillor, Joe Armstrong, along with the EQUAL Partnership and Wood View Community Centre to raise £1,000. This has been matched by a further £1,000 boost from Consett Local Multi Agency Problem Solving Group, which centres on addressing community safety.
The funding will be used to commission the Consett YMCA to work with volunteers to pilot a young people’s drop in session for three months.
Sessions will be held at the community centre on Wood View in Langley Park on Friday evenings.
Councillor Armstrong said: “We will work closely with our local communities to address some of the key neighbourhood issues that arise.”
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