A north-east community council has donated £8,000 worth of play equipment to a local school in an effort to brighten the futures of the village’s young people.
Rathen, Memsie and Cortes Community Council gathered the cash over a three month period through a mixture of grants and their own funds.
The group was also handed two anonymous donations of £800 each to contribute to the project.
The funds paid for a host of new equipment for Rathen Primary School and Memsie play park including a new swing, gardening tools and a wooden pirate ship.
David Bellany, chairman of the community group, said he was delighted they were able to finish the project when the pirate ship was unveiled to the kids yesterday.
“We bought a lot of trowels, gloves and watering cans for the school’s vegetable garden,” he said last night.
“We also got a swing for Memsie play park and a wooden pirate ship for the school.
“The rest of the money went on benches and seating for the school’s outdoor areas, they didn’t have anything until now.”
Of the £8,350 spent on the equipment a total of £6,600 came from Aberdeenshire Council’s area initiative fund. The remainder came from the anonymous donors and the group’s own account.
Mr Bellany said his fellow community councillors successfully bartered with suppliers and estimates the actual value of the items handed over to the school is in excess of £10,000.
He added: “The school kids were around us when we built up the pirate ship and the look on their faces made all the work worth it.
“That’s what a community council should be doing – making people in the community happy.”
Mr Bellany thanked all those involved in the project including the two anonymous donors and Rathen Primary School head teacher Alison Patterson.
The next meeting of the Rathen, Memsie and Cortes community council will be held on October 9 at Rathen village hall.
