Warcop village has been able to revitalise its local park thanks to a donation from British Gypsum. 

Warcop is located just 10 miles away from British Gypsum's Kirkby Thore Plant and their park was in desperate need of rejuvenation. Over time the play equipment had become unsafe leaving families without an outdoor space to enjoy. 

Warcop Parish Council began fundraising for the project back in September 2020, hosting community events and lobbying for support from businesses and larger corporations in order to get the restorations underway. 

Over time, Warcop Play Park’s JustGiving page amounted to nearly £400 from local supporters alone, in addition to donations from the National Lottery Awards for All scheme, The Cumbria Community Foundation, The Hadfield Trust, The Frieda Scott Charitable Trust, The Eden Community Fund, Tesco Community Grants and Cumbria County Council.

A final donation of £2,000 from British Gypsum helped the campaigners reach their total fundraising target of £62,000.  

Warcop Parish Councillor, Katie Hauser, said: “The new playground is a great asset to the village and the local community. The children have had to play on old, tired swings and a slide for a very long time. It’s now an amazing space where children and adults can meet and play safely.     

“This project came at the perfect time to give our community a great boost after being affected by the Covid-19 lockdowns.” 

READ MORE: British Army undergo training in Warcop ahead of European deployment

The park’s renovation took around eight weeks, from the removal of the old playground equipment to the completed installation of the new play set. Finally opening to the public in August 2022, the park’s restoration journey was documented on a community-run Facebook page, under the name of Warcop Play Park. 

The new playground now boasts two toddler swings, two standard swings, a basket swing, a rocking frog, a spinning saucer, and a large activity tower complete with two slides and a zip wire – all of which have been well received by local children.

Since the playground opened in August, there has been a huge increase in visitors to the Cumbrian village, helping to reduce social isolation and contributing to residents’ wellbeing. 

READ MORE: Plea from council to support charities at Carlisle Fireshow