School pleads for your vote to win £10,000 playground makeover

5:39am Friday 16th May 2008

By Dan Webber

Pupils at a Victorian school in Bingley are appealing for help to give them a decent playground after theirs was voted one of the eight worst in Britain.

Now they want to go one step further and be voted the worst to win a £10,000 makeover for their barren play area.

And they are appealing to Telegraph & Argus readers to log on to the internet and vote for them in the competition.

The stark hard-surface play area at Priestthorpe Primary was described as "extremely underdeveloped" by judges of tyre firm Goodyear's 2008 Playground Appeal.

It has staged an online vote for three years, giving the eight worst play areas in the country the chance of a £10,000 make-over.

And in an attempt to transform playtimes for Key Stage One children at the school in Mornington Road, Friends of Priestthorpe put the school in to the competition.

Parent Caty Hollis, of the Friends of Priestthorpe, said: "The playground is appalling. The markings on the ground have been removed and there is no equipment. The children are desperate for something to climb on, to play on and they look longingly at the Key Stage Two playground for when they are old enough to go in there. Please vote for us."

And eight-year-old Olivia Horsforth pleaded for people to cast their vote on the web to help her and her friends get a decent playground.

She said: "We really need more climbing equipment. The big playground has big climbing equipment to play with and we are really bored over here!"

Friends member Jeanette Watson said she was delighted the school was in the final shortlist. She said: "The playground is the only opportunity that children have to play together outdoors and develop their physical and sporting abilities - the nearest park is across two major roads.

"We are doing everything we can to raise money to transform it into the kind of space that our children need.

"We are thrilled to see how well it has done so far - reaching the final eight is brilliant! Now we need as many people as possible to go online and vote to help our children get the playground they deserve."

Head teacher Kathryn Spragg said: "We recognise the importance of play to the development of children. The Key Stage Two playground has already been significantly improved, leading to clear benefits for the older children.

"It is clear from their physical, social and emotional development that the older children have benefited from these improvements. The younger children would benefit from this too.

"Please find it in your hearts just to spend a couple of minutes to give them what they deserve because we feel they deserve it."

Built in 1877, Priestthorpe is now part of a built-up urban area. The school's already-dilapidated Key Stage One playground was made even worse in 2007 as a result of improvements to the nursery building.

To help the school, visit www.mygoodyear.co.uk and cast your vote. All votes must be received by Friday, May 23.