Youngsters from Monton have put their arts into brightening up a £40,000 revamp of their local playground.
Year Five pupils from Monton Green primary school designed new signs for the fencing at the Shackleton Street site while Monton poet Jenny Berry composed a special poem for the fence.
Their work at the renamed Monton Playground follows a fundraising campaign by local residents and Monton Village Community Association (MVCA) backed by Salford City Council.
Local resident Jan Phelan, of Monton Road, said: “It all started when one of our local residents Derek Hodgkinson commented that Shackleton St playground needed more swings and equipment.
“We went to look at the park and realised, as it’s the only one in Monton, it needed revamping. We launched a fundraising campaign locally and had a fantastic response from local residents.
“We raised £1,800 at a charity night at Worsley Golf Club and had donations of both funds and support from local businesses Fletcher Engineering Ltd, Revive Mortgages Ltd, Home in Monton, Eccles Rotary Club, City West Housing Trust and Salford City Council.
“We also managed to secure £32,000 in funding from Viridor Credits Environmental Company which is a charity and environmental body that distributes money to projects via the Landfill Communities Fund.”
Jan added: “We asked local schoolchildren to design signs for the fence as it’s their playground and they worked with mosaic artist and metal worker Mark Mennell whose company Urban Wonder specialises in community projects.”
Salford City Council, which managed the construction of the playground, fully supported the plans to get a new see-saw, swings and climbing frame installed, along with new picnic areas and flower beds.
Councillor Gena Merrett, assistant mayor for housing and environment, praised residents for all their hard work and said they should be very proud of what they have achieved.
“Play is a really important part of life for children and they will really enjoy using these new facilities. I’m looking forward to seeing the playground in full swing,” she said.
Jenny’s poem spells out Monton Playground and reads:
Milestones of history
Occur entwined with mystery,
Nurturing the industrial revolution
The canal’s solution
Offered transportation by boat;
Now the past could stay afloat.
Present Monton brings:
Leisure, butterflies, slides and swings,
A roundabout that revolves
Youth that evolves,
Grey herons flying free
Red Campion, hedge bindweed.
Opportunities for all and
Unique trails to trawl,
Nature so true and
Dog walkers too.
