THE team behind a major leisure development at Raby Castle wants a young person to road-test its new attractions for children.

The castle, at Staindrop, in County Durham, invites children in years four and five at nearby schools to enter the search for a young community ambassador to support The Rising development.

Young ‘heroes’ who have done something exceptional for their community, school or family can submit a short nomination as to why they – or a friend or family member – deserves to be chosen by Friday, October 29.

The winner, aged between eight and ten-years-old, will be selected by a panel of judges and invited to officially launch the start of work on a bespoke children’s adventure playground at an event hosted by Lord and Lady Barnard on November 9.

The new play area will be the first work to start within The Rising, a two-year multi-million-pound scheme to restore and preserve historic buildings within the park and gardens which have been without purpose for decades.

Read more: Work to start at historic attraction Raby Castle, County Durham

Sited to the north of the castle, on the site of the present Christmas tree plantation, the playground will open by Easter 2022 and have a refreshment kiosk with a stargazing deck on the roof.  

Duncan Peake, CEO at Raby Castle, said: “Our community is filled with wonderful stories of young people who have enriched the lives of the people around them in a number of special ways.

"We wanted to find a young hero who is deserving of some special treatment and involve them in the building of our brand-new adventure playground.

“Our vision for the development is to provide a beautiful new place for the community to enjoy and create a special destination for children to run free, explore and use their imaginations.

“As such, we are looking for a young ‘local hero’ to help us celebrate the start of work to the adventure playground; return to see the progress of construction and – most importantly – road test the new play area once it is finished in Spring 2022.”

The winner also gets a family pass for the castle, park and gardens on a date of their choosing.

 

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