A NEW, fully accessible playpark opened its gates to children for the first time last week.

The outdoor space at the recently refurbished Drumfork Community Centre welcomed youngsters on Wednesday, September 16 following the completion of the second phase of the Churchill Square regeneration project.

Mainly funded by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC), the project aims to bring benefit to not only the service families who live locally but also to the wider Helensburgh and Lomond community.

“The completion of the playpark in Churchill Square is the culmination of our complete modernisation of the Drumfork Community Centre which has served naval families for more than half a century,” said RNRMC chief executive, Adrian Bell.

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“It is a crucial contribution to the Royal Navy’s strategy to create a home port for all submarines at Faslane.

“We know that although one person joins, the whole family serves and our work at Drumfork represents the charity’s biggest demonstration to date of giving back to the families, whose support all those working in the Royal Navy rely upon.”

The park has a range of outdoor play equipment for children of all ages, including a wheelchair accessible swing and also hosts a range of sensory play equipment that provide a multitude of sounds, colours and textures that enable children to learn through play.

For the older kids, 14 years and above, there is an assortment of outdoor fitness equipment which uses the very latest smartphone technology.

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You simply use your Smartphone to scan the Quick Response (QR) code on each piece of equipment and you will be shown a video demonstrating the exercises that can be done on each piece of apparatus.

Captain Nick Gibbons, captain of the base at HMNB Clyde, added: “We are delighted to see this fantastic playpark now open, particularly following what has been an extremely challenging few months for many.

“We remain extremely grateful to the RNRMC and all involved in the delivery of this exciting and much-anticipated project which, I am sure, will be enjoyed by the whole community for many years to come.”

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