SPECIAL DAY FOR CRANMORE COMMUNITY
Cranmore Regeneration got off to an exciting start recently as the new Cranmore Playground was officially opened by Mayor Councillor Tom MacSharry in a sea of colour and fun activities to celebrate the special occasion. The new playground, which was delivered as an ‘early win’ for the Cranmore Regeneration Project was funded through the RAPID programme, Sligo Borough Council, Department of Environment Heritage and Local Government and Groundwork Northern Ireland. The playground signals the beginnings of a brighter future for the community and is among the first visible signs that regeneration is now well and truly underway in Cranmore.
Mayor MacSharry called it a ‘special day for the local community – the opening of the new playground is the latest in a series of very positive developments for the local community.’ The Mayor went on to pay tribute to the many people who played a part in bringing the project to fruition: ‘The impetus and inspiration for change and progress emanated from the Cranmore community. They articulated their concerns about the deficit of play and recreation areas, a situation that could not be allowed to continue with such a significant children and youth population.’ RAPID Very early on in the consultation process with the Community the issue of play and recreation facilities emerged as a top priority for the residents and young people of Cranmore. With one third of the population of Cranmore aged under 16years of age it is little wonder that the issue adequate provision of play and recreation was highlighted by the Community as a key issue to be addressed in the development of the Masterplan for regeneration. As a result, Cranmore was prioritised for investment of the RAPID playground funding and the new playground was delivered as an early win in responding to the expressed needs of the Community. Speaking at the opening, Project Leader, Jennifer Murphy said that the opening of the playground marked a proud day for the residents of Cranmore as they see the efforts of the past two years coming to fruition.