Wigan teacher's plea for cash to finish new school play area

A new playground for early years children at Marsh Green Primary School has been planned for four years, money was set aside and much of the work was carried out over the Easter holiday.

But funding has now run out and there is still work to be done before children can enjoy the new play area.

Scott Beardsworth, outdoor learning teacher and head of PE, said: “We still have a part of the playground that we didn’t have the funding to do. It will cost around £2,800. It’s an area that’s basically just hard mud with trees and we need a special flooring there. We can’t leave it as it is.

"We looked at temporary solutions like putting bark down, but I got all the team together and we suggested fund-raising ideas like cake stalls and car washes, so we could finish the work. I came up with putting it out to members of the public.”

Mr Beardsworth created an online fund-raising appeal to raise the money needed and donations quickly started to pour in.

A local business gave £250 immediately and members of staff and the school community have been promoting the initiative on social media.

The appeal is now more than halfway to its £2,800 goal and the generosity of Wiganers has made Mr Beardsworth even more determined to reach the target.

He said: “As soon as we have raised the money, I will be on the phone to relevant companies to see what I can get. If I can get it cheaper, we will be able to get more for our children, who really deserve it.

"This is for our two, three and four year olds. A lot live in homes without an outdoor space. This outdoor wonderland that we want to create is somewhere they can express themselves and play safely. There is a story-telling area, a sand pit, water features, climbing frames – we have everything. We just need to get this small part finished.”

Donate to the school’s appeal at gofund.me/33d2eeb7