A NEW playground in the village of St Tudy has reopened in memory of a much-loved pre-school manager, after members of the community received a £25,000 national award to renovate the area in her memory.

The new playground opened to the public on Friday, July 13, as a tribute to Claire Townsend, the manager at St Tudy’s pre-school who passed away last year.

Previously a run-down play space, the area has been completely revamped and now boasts a range of accessible and fun equipment from Wadebridge company, Schoolscapes. The equipment includes cradle seat swings, an eagle nest swing, a flat seat wing, a roundabout, a dino mound and tunnel, a ‘Treetops’ for climbing as well as a swing surfer donated by the Bray Foundation and a sandpit. The team refurbished two pieces of equipment, the twizzle stick and the seesaw.

A vegetable patch made of tractor tyres and wildlife area has also been created, so that local pre-schoolers and pupils can grow their own fruit and vegetables and learn about nature. Benches surround the play area which has a large safe surface.

Claire’s husband, Dan Townsend, said: “We’d like to thank the entire community for their support in helping to make this project a reality.

“Claire was a wonderful person, and she would have been incredibly honoured to have the play area dedicated in her memory.”

The St Tudy Playing Field Trust was awarded the money for the new playground equipment by financial services company OneFamily as part of its community awards after being nominated by Sue Handford.

Sue Handford is a fundraiser for the St Tudy Playing Field Trust. She said: “Launching the new playground was a great day to celebrate this achievement.

“Our dedicated playground team of Rebecca Jago, Karen Whalley, Kate Willcocks, Jack Gibson and Annette Welch have worked hard to ensure that the new playground is a fitting tribute to Claire. We have used the OneFamily award of £25,000 as a catalyst to secure grants and hold local fundraisers. Everyone has been involved. Thank you everyone. This new play area is a place that children will be able to enjoy for many years to come.

“We’re so thankful to everyone at OneFamily for providing us with this opportunity and for the St Tudy Playing Field Trustees to empower us to build this new playground.”

Sue added: “A big thank you to local contractor Mark Andrew who helped us clear the playground and prepare the surface, Vicki O’Shea from Cedarcoft Plants who helped with the planting using compost from Tinten Farm, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, ASDA from letting our youth club pack bags, Frankie and Graham Harris and the St Austell Dance Group, Western Supply Company. Grants have been received from His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwall, Bray Charitable Foundation, Western Power Distribution, The Pirate Trust, Devon and Cornwall Police, councillor Stephen Rushworth and most recently the Foyle Foundation.”