Years of hard work and determination have paid off for a dedicated team at Halton in Lancashire with the official opening of a skate park, games area and playground for the village.
The project, funded mainly through a £450,000 Community Spaces grant, was launched by local MP David Morris, who unveiled a commemorative plaque before showing off his skills on the state of the art skatepark.
Children from the local playgroup and primary school tried out the playground and games area, while BMX riders and skateboarders were keen to test out the skatepark, which was designed by specialist firm Maverick.
Brian Jefferson, chairman of the local parish council and project manager for the scheme, said: “It’s been a lot of hard work, but we have created something that is not just for this village today, but for everyone in years to come. We have had skateboarders coming from as far away as Brighton to enjoy the fantastic facility we have built here.”
Fundraiser Maureen Richardson added: “Many people were very surprised at the variety of activities we were able to provide over the opening weekend. Many families stayed for the whole day and we had about a dozen tents on site overnight. The skate park competition was simply amazing.
“The village is buzzing and all the children at school are very excited. We are really proud of what we have been able to achieve and are pleased that users are recognising our efforts.
“Thank you once again for enabling us to put the heart back into Halton.”
We have posted a short film of the launch day to our YouTube channel – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUrHqdgVzU4
And there’s more information on the Halton Community Centre website – www.haltoncentre.org
