Children Help Open Their New Play Area
The latest play area to be completed as part of a £1.7m Rhondda Cynon Taf Council investment programme has opened – with help from a very special little girl and her friends.
Mia Thorne, 9, suffers from cerebral palsy and has been keen to see improvements to her local park, Oaklands in Cilfynydd, making it more accessible for those with disabilities.
Mia has been avidly watching progress since work began at Oaklands a few weeks ago as part of the #RCTinvest programme, which will benefit over 50 play areas across the county borough.
Impressed by the dedication of Council contactors, who have worked every day come rain or shine to ensure the project is complete, Mia was invited to help officially open the playground today (Oct 5).
She was joined by Cllr Ann Crimmings, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure and Culture, who is spearheading the play area investment, which has already seen over 20 community play areas improved with access and landscaping works and new play equipment.
Mia also brought along a few of her friends from the community to try out the play equipment and the children played in the new facility until their bedtimes!
She opened the playground with a little speech about how happy she was they had a safe place where they could have fun together and urged everyone who used the park to take care of it to ensure it lasts.
Also excited to be at the opening were Vikki Howells AM, Cllr Barry Morgan, local Councillor for Cilfynydd and Richard Jones, Chair of Accessibility Wales, who have all worked with and supported Mia in her campaign.
Cllr Crimmings said at the opening: “We launched the £1.7m play area investment as part of the wider, three-year, £200m, #RCTInvest programme to improve the services and facilities we knew mattered the most to our communities, including housing, leisure, highways, play areas and town and village centres.
“Over 20 play areas across RCT have already benefited from the scheme and children are enjoying active, healthy fun in the outdoors at a range of play areas that now boast new or improved facilities, better access, new pathways and more.
“Oaklands in Cilfynydd was always on our list to refurbish when we announced the significant investment and we are delighted with the end result.
“The expertise and enthusiasm shown by Mia, supported by Vikki Howells AM, Cllr Morgan and Mr Jones has enabled us to create a lovely play area that can be enjoyed by children of all ages and abilities.
“While we were at the opening Mia mentioned she continues her campaigning for better services for disabled people, while also fundraising for Dreams Come True and volunteering as an ambassador for the Cauldwell Children’s Charity – as well as continuing to do well and work hard at Coedpenmaen School, where she is a pupil.
“We thank her for her hard work and enthusiasm and also wish her well in her continued charity work.”
Mia said: “I wrote to the Council as I did not think it was fair I couldn’t play in the park with my friends of my sister.
“We did tours of the park and I made a video to show people what was needed and suggested some of the things I had planned.
“Every day I went past the park and they were working hard in the rain.
“I am now raising money on an ice skating challenge for Dreams Come True, a children’s charity that helped me and I want them to help other people who have disabilities or are seriously ill.
“This is going to be a hard challenge, but it is for a good cause. I had to make it hard so people would sponsor me. I have found it really hard and it has made me want to give up, but I can’t as I want and need to help children like me.”
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