A down-at-heel playground in Deepcar has been refurbished after a group raised £60,000 in funding.

The Friends of Fox Glen Park came together to refurbish the children’s play area on Wood Royd Road in the village just north of Sheffield.

The group was formed in late July 2022 with the aim of replacing rusty and unsafe equipment.

Dorothy Whittaker, a member of the community group said: “We are very proud of what we’ve achieved”.

The group said the playground which was originally envisaged as the “premier children’s facility in the area” has been deemed unsuitable and in need of serious refurbishment.

Within the community there has been concern that the declining park could be in danger of becoming a focus for anti-social behaviour. 

Through raising awareness on the state of the park and working closely alongside the local schools, Friends of Fox Glen Park won a series of grants from the local council and organisations like the National Lottery Community Fund, Sheffield Town Trust and the J. G. Graves Trust.

The grants won by the group in aid of the playground included a £20,000 sum from the local Participatory Budgeting scheme in which the group received the most votes.

In a council meeting last week, Ruth Bell, Head of Parks and Countryside acknowledged the community group’s “invaluable work” and that of ‘Friends’ groups across the city.

The playground now has an array of brand new equipment for all of the local community to enjoy, including a climbing frame and swings with an inclusive roundabout still to be installed.