Playpark group build on Easter success - with bricks!

THE Keiss family playpark project got a £400 boost at the weekend and generated loads of Easter fun into the bargain.
The event that produced the gratifying total, caught the imagination of villagers and visitors alike, was held in the local hall, on Sunday, and proved a hit with adults and children alike, some of whom came dressed for the occasion.
The proceeds from entrance charges, and a variety of stalls, bring the total amount raised, so far, for the amenity – including some grant aid – to £16, 500.
Further grant applications are pending, and, if these materialise, it should make a considerable dent in the overhaul cost of the playpark, of £165,000. But the go-ahead group, a sub-committee of the local community council, have to raise a £6,500 instalment, towards the second phase of the project, which would see the completion of the state-of-the art replacement to the present playpark. It is hoped to start the first phase during the summer.
The project group are aiming to secure half of this sum from a novel, buy-a-brick fundraiser, launched this week. For a one-off payment of £15 the purchaser can have his or hers, engraved in gold lettering with two lines of text, providing a personal and lasting involvement with the project. The quality charcoal clay pavers will create an impressive edged border to the pathway.
Project group chair, Vicky Mackay, said that brick fundraiser was being aimed at exiles as well as locals and it has already attracted interest from as far afield as Sydney.
Another idea being cooked up, is a culinary and crafts book with contributions from members of the public. Recipes, personal favourites or ones that have been handed down, must be sent to Mrs Mackay, of Scaraben, Main Street, Keiss, by the end of the month. The book will have its launch at the Keiss gala, during the summer.
Central to the project becoming a reality has been the support of the public.
Mrs Mackay said: “It has been nothing short of amazing, and has been forthcoming, not just from the village itself, but the surrounding communities and further afield, including businesses in Wick. People really want this project to succeed.”