More than 100 gather for Frilsham playground opening

Lord Iliffe, whose family has historically owned the land next to Frilsham Village Hall where the playground is located, cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony in front of a large crowd of residents from Frilsham and the surrounding villages.
The playground features a multi-play climbing area, zip wire, roundabout, large and small swings and a springer for toddlers, replaces two sets of swings which were previously located there, and is suitable for children of all ages, including those with disabilities.
Work on the improvements started in April as the area was cleared and made suitable for the installation of the new equipment in July, however work on the project stems back for two years when it first went on to the drawing board after public opinion ranked a new play area for the village’s youngsters as a top priority for the parish plan.
Funding for the new facility, which cost close to £50,000, was provided by West Berkshire Council, the Rural Access to Services Programme, the Herbert and Peter Blagrave Charitable Trust, which is managed by Berkshire Community Foundation, and the Veolia Environmental Trust which awarded £25,000 to the project through the Landfill Communities Fund, as well as through local fundraising efforts.
It was run by Frilsham Parish Council and the Frilsham Future Implementation Group.
The chairman of the group, Bob Lyon, said: “It was very pleasing to see it all come together and everyone enjoying themselves, it makes it all worthwhile.
“[Previously] the nearest reasonable playground would be either in Bucklebury and Hampstead Norreys...whereas now the children can just wander along to the playground which is great.”
He added that a pool of volunteers had clocked up a total of 800 hours from start to finish in helping see the project come to fruition.
Resident Allison Gillespie said: “As a parent in Frilsham I am thrilled that there is now a focus for play and activity in our village.
“Although my children are 14 and 16, they are very much looking forward to enjoying the new equipment and vastly improved surrounding environment.
“It was a huge effort by the committee and they should be congratulated for the wonderful addition this will make to the Frilsham Clubroom grounds and will no doubt be used at the village events as well.”