Extra cash for refurbishing play parks

SHETLAND Islands Council (SIC) expects to receive £28,000 from the Scottish Government this financial year to refurbish its play parks.

It is part of a payout from the government worth a total of £5 million to Scotland’s councils.

With the government pledging a total of £60 million over this Scottish parliamentary term for modernising play parks, the SIC should receive more in the coming years.

Sport and leisure manager Neil Watt said: “We understand that this capital funding is for the ‘refurbishment of play parks’ that are owned and managed by the local authority and we are awaiting the detailed guidance on how it should be used.”

Children minister Clare Haughey said the hope is for young people to be consulted throughout the process.

“We know that play is an absolutely crucial part of children’s health and well-being and as we continue to recover from the pandemic, playing outside will allow children to reconnect with each other and allow them to return to enjoying their childhood,” she said.

“Our overall investment of £60 million will ensure that all children across Scotland have access to quality play in their own community and helps to deliver on children’s right to play, enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.”