Ten-year-old Middle Barton boy organises fundraising event to help pay for new kid's playground

Archie Johnson and his friends have been left without a playground in their village for around three months.

The old children’s playground on the Bartons War Memorial Playing Fields was torn down at the beginning of the year due to it becoming unsafe.

Archie said: “We did have an amazing park with a huge climbing frame, slide, hideout, swings and also a toddler area too, but we were told it had to be taken down due to it not being safe.

“Since that time, I and my friends have been so bored over the past couple of months not being able to play in our spare time, as we haven't had the park.”

Middle Barton residents have been tasked with raising £82,000 to fund the building of a new playground in the village.

So far the community has raised an impressive £56,000 from various donations, fundraising events and grants.

However, they still need to raise a further £26,000 in order to be able to complete the building of the new play park.

This has led Archie to take matters into his own hands and put on the Skittles night on Saturday, May 24, to help raise that withstanding money.

He said: “I have decided to charge an entry fee of £5 for the kids to play Skittles (this will include a drink and a bag of sweets).

“I also hope to do a raffle on the evening too where I have emailed lots of companies to see if they could donate a prize.

“So all profits of the entry fee and raffle can be donated to the outstanding amount that needs to be raised to go towards our desperately needed park of Middle Barton.”

Archie is being assisted by his mother, Kelly, in organising the Skittles event.

Speaking about the village’s need for the new park, Kelly said: “Archie, his friends and the rest of the community have missed the park not being there since the early part of this year.

“The Bartons Victory Memorial Hall Fund Committee explored various options, including trying to extend the life of items in the park by cutting posts short, installing metal supports and making repairs to the structures.

“However, that would have proved to be difficult to do and quite costly with little long-term guarantee of the further life of the items.”

This resulted in the hall’s committee approving a plan to replace some of the well-used items with new pieces of play equipment.

Much of the new equipment is aimed specifically at primary school-age children and includes, among other items, a multi-ability roundabout.

Kelly added: “I hope it is a successful event for Archie; it's all he talks about at the moment.

“He's planning to sell hot dogs on the evening as well as cakes, and so far he has managed to secure a family day out at a local attraction, a family bowling session, sweet hampers, vouchers and a brand-new boxed bicycle helmet as prizes for the raffle.

“I am so proud of him for trying to help his local community; long may his determination and enthusiasm continue throughout his life.”

Archie’s Skittles event takes place at the Barton Memorial Sports Club at 5pm on May 24.

For more information or to dontate to the fundraiser, visit: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/the-bartons-war-memorial-playing-fields