An Elgin dad has launched a project to transform neglected playing fields that have been littered with needles and dog mess into a safe field of dreams for children to play football.
The Thornhill grounds in the south of the Moray town have been popular with dog walkers since being created a decade ago as part of a housing development.
However, mess from the household pets as well as reports of needles have put off children from using the park as a regular place for games.
Local resident Wayne Grant now has a vision to transform the playing fields into an attractive place for children to stay active while keeping out of trouble.
Need for safe football pitches for Elgin children
Offshore worker Mr Grant embarked on the campaign to establish two five-a-side pitches and a rounders field to give youngsters a safe place to play.
After setting an initial fundraising target of £2,000, the father-of-two has now raised nearly £4,000 after being inundated with donations from local parents and groups.
He hopes his sports daft nine-year-old son Mitchell will be able to enjoy the benefits after becoming frustrated at a lack of progress from elsewhere.
Not every family can afford to pay to book a pitch.”
He said: “We’ve stayed in the Grange development from day one for 12 years. There were promises of playparks for the kids but nothing has ever happened.
“You get a lot of dog walkers here and they just let them foul everywhere and it’s such a shame because it could be such a good place.
“Not every family can afford to pay to book a pitch to play, they just want somewhere to kick a ball about.
“As soon as I put something on the Grange Facebook page there were a lot of people getting touch to say it was a brilliant idea.
“I’ve spoken to the community police officer too. They ran street football on the High Street recently and said it got a good response from 13 to 17-year-olds because it was just somewhere for them to go and play.”
Moray Council’s support for safe pitch vision
Moray Council has backed Mr Grant’s vision to create five-a-side football pitches and a rounders field at the Thornhill grounds.
The local authority has praised the dad’s plans as an example for other communities to follow.
A spokeswoman said: “Moray Council is keen to support community groups encouraging the use of our open spaces and the Thornhill pitches are a great example of a community facility in New Elgin that would benefit from more use.
“We’re in the process of assisting Mr Grant by marking out two five-a-side pitches in the Thornhill playing field area.
“The new rounders pitch will also make a great addition for young people in the area to make the most of without having to book. We look forward to continuing to empower communities to undertake projects like this across Moray.”