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The Jubilee Recreation Park in Portskerra was formally opened on Wednesday 2nd July in a ceremony attended by the pupils of Melvich Primary School, parents, teachers, members of Melvich Community Council and representatives of the funding bodies. Myrtle Gillies, Chairman of the Community Council told those present that the Council had been striving to replace the old, derelict play park with modern, innovative equipment. After a number of false starts, she had invited the Russell Leisure Ltd to give a presentation to the children in the school which allowed them to design their own Recreation Park. Their design was accepted by the Community Council. The hope had been that the park would be completed in the Jubilee year, however, raising the funding required for the project took much time and effort.
Thanks to an initial grant from Landfill Tax, approved by Entrust, the Council were able to secure a sum of over £90,000 and the transformation of the Jubilee Recreation Park went ahead. Mrs Gillies thanked, Entrust, Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise, the Highland Council, the Scottish Executive, the Social Inclusion Partnership, the Grazings Committees in Melvich and Halladale and the UKAEA Dounreay Appeals & Donations fund for contributions to the cost of the equipment. She expressed thanks also to 'Awards for All' for a grant for landscaping the site and to O'Brien Construction Ltd for the 80 tonnes of top soil they donated. Mrs Gillies made particular mention of the contribution made by Mrs Barbara Jardine, Highland Councillor during the period, who used her influence and contacts to smooth the path of the fund raising efforts. Mrs Gillies hoped that the Jubilee Recreation Park would bring many years of pleasure to the children of the area and invited the eldest girl, Kayleigh Mackay, and the youngest boy, Jordan Griffiths, from Melvich Primary School, to cut the ribbon and formally open the Park. The school children immediately showed their appreciation by clambering over every single piece of equipment with utmost delight and it was a tribute to the discipline in the school that Head Teacher, Bert Morrison, and his staff were able to gather the children and march them off back to school! |
