New Bere Regis play area dream realised (From Dorset Echo)

New Bere Regis play area dream realised

2:00pm Monday 18th March 2013 in News By Harry Hogger

MONTHS of planning and fundraising have been realised with the official opening of a new-look play park in Bere Regis.

Local parish councillor Robin Pitcher put forward the idea of renewing the play area in Elder Road last November as the park was coming to the end of its useful life.

In January saw the formation of the Bere Regis Community Play Association (BRCPA) as a sub committee of the parish council.

The group comprised like-minded parents who wanted to regenerate the park and the design was led by the children who would play in it.

The ideas of pupils at Bere Regis School were fed to sculptor Andy Frost to help him create unique designs for the project.

In under a year the BRPCA raised under £40,000 through grants from various bodies and fundraising activities from cake sales to race nights and saucy bingo to garden parties.

A group of teenage boys and their dads also took on the tough task of removing the old equipment some of which was refurbished.

Mr Frost and his team were then able to move on to the site earlier in the year and begin installing the new equipment ahead the grand opening.

Children from the school and Ragamuffins pre-school designed individual plaques now on display around the fence.

The area has been named ‘Amizing Prack’ as that was the headline one of the children had given to their drawing as the youngsters began putting together their designs months ago.

Parish clerk Amanda Crocker said: “Special thanks are given to those bodies who granted monies to the park and to the volunteers.”