Children from Kirkby Stephen helped officially open the upgraded playground next to their school.
Work on the playground, supplied by Sutcliffe Play, was completed on January 31 and the sun came out after school time on Tuesday February 4 for the official opening.
Harriet Prime from Kirkby Stephen Primary School cut the ribbon and the event was attended by Kirkby Stephen and Tebay councillors John Murray and Adrian Waite.
Kirkby Stephen Town Council chairman, Cllr Paul Richardson and clerk, Christian Barnes, worked closely with Westmorland and Furness Council on the project,
Cllr Murray said: "Westmorland and Furness is a great place to live, work and thrive, and that is why I’m so pleased to announce the opening of the new equipment here on the primary school field here in Kirkby Stephen."
The playground upgrade – which saw the see saw remaining in place, the swings replaced with an upgraded swing set which includes inclusive seats, a new climbing frame with slide and accessible roundabout, as well as new surfacing – cost nearly £55,000 and was delivered as part of the Kirkby Stephen Town Centre Improvement Scheme.
Westmorland and Furness Council, local members, Kirkby Stephen Town Council and others are working together on the four projects in the scheme.
Work to enhance and refurbish the town memorial garden at Silver Street is due to be completed soon.
The project will create an appealing and welcoming green space in the heart of the town. The approved planning application includes plans to lower the boundary wall to improve visibility into the park and encourage use, extend the park area, introduce sitting areas and carry out hard and soft landscaping. The council has appointed Bespoke Landscapes and Builds to complete this work.
Improvements to the outside of the town's visitor centre to help protect this important building have also started. Work includes refurbishment of the external decoration and installing new timber windows. The council is pleased to be working with local builder and stonemason, Paul Thompson, to complete these works.
A wayfinding project will also see the addition of new interpretation boards to improve wayfinding throughout the town. The council has appointed a design agency, Make Things Happen, to help develop the project.
The aim of the scheme is to use the panels to create an engaging outdoor trail that celebrates Kirkby Stephen's character, community and businesses. The panels will share local heritage, stories and little-known facts as well as practical direction and signage. The trail will capture the attention of visitors to the town and residents alike, directing them to areas of the town that they might not have thought to explore before.
In addition, Westmorland and Furness Council is working with partners from the Coast-to-Coast Path, which was recently awarded National Trail status. The Countryside Access Team will install better signage from the C2C into Kirkby Stephen, making sure walkers are aware of the facilities available in town.
All four projects in the scheme are funded by £315,500 from the Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UK SPF). Click here to find out more about the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Westmorland and Furness.