Hundreds gathered at the King George V playing field in Shaldon on Saturday (March 29) as local artist Laura Wall officially opened the village’s new play park.

Visitors to the park were treated to ice-cream, cake and drinks as a thank-you for their support as the new park grew to fruition.

Laura congratulated the Parish Council Play Park Committee for their hard work and said she was ‘honoured’ to have been asked to do the artwork for the play park sign.

‘I am so pleased that the park is now open,’ said chair of the play park committee Jo Cumbley. ‘I love seeing all the children having fun.’

‘Lots of thought has gone into the design of the park,’ Jo explained. There is a variety of play equipment to suit different ages and abilities. ‘This is an inclusive space where everyone can have fun together,’ she added.

The play park committee raised over £100,000 to completely renovate the play area. Over two thirds of the total was raised from donations from local grants, businesses and individuals.

Local groups were heavily involved in the development of all aspects of the park. Members of the River Teign Sea Scouts contributed to a board showing birds that can be spotted from the park. Children from the reception class at Shaldon Primary School came up with a name for the play boat: The Salty Ship. And volunteers from the Friends of Homeyard Botanical Gardens have toiled to get plants in the ground and watered and have developed a living Willow Wigwam, which will provide space to play and shade.

The journey from a desire for better play equipment to a brand new park has taken several years. Parents first expressed a desire to improve the park several years ago. However, after Shaldon Parish Council took over the lease of the park in 2023, the work gathered pace and the fundraising campaign was launched in early 2024.

The finished park ‘shows what we can do if we work together,’ Jo noted.