A handful of Buckland Monachorum stalwarts have been tending to their much-loved park this week and last, ensuring it is in fine condition for everyone in the village to enjoy.

Heading down to the park armed with buckets of water, sponges, scouring pads, wire brushes and an assortment of other cleaning paraphernalia, village residents Shirley Fraser, Gary Baird, Maggie and Phil Bennett, Karla Sykes and vicar Andy Bowden got to work on Monday evening and last Thursday evening (June 29), tending to the equipment and apparatus.

Shirley, who has lived in the village all her life, said: ‘A few of us recently got together and agreed the park needed some serious care. For instance, we have a lovely granite bench which was put there for the milennium new year which needed some love as moss was growing out of it. It’s amazing how different everything already looks.’

The recent clean-ups are one of many things residents in the village are doing to ensure the longevity of their park, which is owned by Buckland Monachorum Parish Council; they are also repainting equipment and restaining wood, planning further clean ups, speaking with local children about things they would like to see in the park and intend to apply for sponsorship, grants and any other appropriate source of funding in order to improve safety features, such as rubber safety matting, and new apparatus.

Funds have already been raised from running a stall at this year’s village summer event, with another stall planned for the upcoming RAF Harrowbeer 1940s weekend in August.

Ensuring the park’s continued healthy life has been even more important for many residents after use became partially restricted following the coronavirus pandemic. Shirley said: ‘We all previously had access to the school grounds out of hours, but this changed with lockdown restrictions. Afterwards, access never returned, despite many of us asking the school.

‘The park has been here since 1976 — it’s vital that children and families have somewhere they can play. For some, it may be the only enjoyable outdoor space nearby.’