The Kids Need to Play campaign began when a young boy in the town wrote his councillor a letter, asking for a decent place for riding his scooter. After receiving the letter from Matthew Duncan, aged 10, Councillor Simpson proposed using money donated by development firm Bellway to refurbish the play park in the Mossneuk district. Simpson said:
“It is great to see the play park open. The design and the equipment are first class and I am delighted to see so many local kids using it already.”
The children were consulted over what should be included in the new park, via a questionnaire, and the revamped play area includes a climbing frame, skate ramp, seesaw and swings.
However, despite the success in getting it refurbished, the Kids Need to Play movement is ongoing – and has turned its attentions to other local parks. Campaigns of this kind, by local communities, often utilise printing services in East Kilbride and other areas to provide the petition and poster printing needed.
Kids Need to Play has now shifted its focus to the Calderglen Country Park adventure playground, and this decaying facility looks set for a £225,000 transformation over the coming months.