New park for Ulley

Ulley Parish Plan Steering Committee has been working to raise the £93,000 required to replace the play equipment at the village’s playground, which has been in place for almost two decades and has been beginning to increasingly show its age.

Thanks largely to a £61,669 project grant from the FCC Communities Foundation and a £20,000 grant from the community benefits fund linked to Banks Renewables' nearby Penny Hill Wind Farm, the village are able to put their plans into action. Further contributions have been provided by the Halifax Fund, the Ulley Millennium Trust, Aston Recreational Charity, Holy Trinity Church in Ulley, the Parish Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council’s ward budget.

The Parish Plan Steering Committee has also been holding a range of fundraising events to help reach the target, including Christmas and summer fairs, raffles and an Easter event.

Work is due to start on 16 March. 

Janine Strange, chair at Ulley Parish Plan Steering Committee says: "The playpark has always been really popular, but the equipment we’ve got there has been in place for the best part of 20 years and was starting to look a bit tired. 

“We carried out a survey of playpark users about which parts of it they liked and will be keeping our basket swings and slide as a result, but all the new equipment that’s coming will give the place a whole new lease of life.

“We’ve got lots of young families and people with grandchildren in the village, and as well as being somewhere for them to come together, the park is also the venue for lots of village events, so having this new equipment will hopefully encourage even more people to come along and take part.

“It’s been a terrific community effort to raise lots of money for this project, but we really couldn’t have done it without the support of the FCC Communities Foundation, Banks Renewables and all our funders, and we’re hugely grateful to all of them for enabling us to get on with the job much sooner than we otherwise could have done.”

FCC Communities Foundation is a not for profit business that awards grants for community projects through the Landfill Communities Fund.

Penny Horne, spokesperson for FCC Communities Foundation, says: “We’re delighted to be supporting the Ulley Park Improvement Project and pleased our funding will provide such a fantastic facility for children and young families within the area. FCC Communities Foundation is always happy to consider grant applications for projects that make a difference to local communities and we’re really looking forward to seeing this one take shape soon.”

The Penny Hill Wind Farm Community Fund is ring-fenced to support community and environmental projects within the parishes of Aston, Thurcroft, Treeton, Ulley and Whiston, and will provide over £500,000 of funding over the current 25-year lifespan of the scheme.

Lewis Stokes, community relations manager at the Banks Group, adds: “The time and effort that local people have put into supporting the renewal of this important community asset is hugely impressive and we’re very pleased to have helped the fundraising campaign get over the finish line”.