Kirkcaldy mums rally in an effort to refurbish dilapidated and outdated park

Prestonfield Park in Capshard Estate is hidden away at the top of Prestonfield Drive and is affectionately known as ‘The Rusty’ due to its rusted play equipment that was installed decades ago.

Tired of having nowhere for their kids to play, the mums have taken action and are campaigning for funds to bring the park into the 21st century.

Setting up a Facebook group to help raise awareness of their cause, Louise Mills, Laura Thomas, Hayley Stevenson, and Stacy Young are determined to get the area a park it deserves.

Louise first discovered the park while exploring their area during lockdown.

She said: “We were disheartened to see that it is not fit for purpose.

"It has not been maintained and the play equipment is very outdated – the spring riders don’t even move because they are rusted solid!

"We have been in touch with Fife Council and have been told at one of the meetings that we need to raise around 50 per cent of the total cost of the refurbishment.

The council is on board and everything is in place for us to start the fundraising process.”

The mums have also enlisted the help of an inclusive park designer to ensure that the new park will be suitable for children of all abilities.

"We want it to be inclusive, and we’re going to speak to Capshard Primary School to get input from the kids there to find out what they would like it to have,” Louise said.

"It also needs to be inclusive and accessible for kids with additional needs as there’s none in the area.”

The group is convinced that, as the park sits in a wide open space, it has bags of potential.

"The Rusty is in a really amazing space that just hasn’t been utilised properly.

"The play equipment is just awful, when my kids sit on them they have brown rust marks all over their clothes!

"My husband turns 40 in a couple of months and he says that the equipment in the park has been there forever.

"Hopefully, if all goes to plan, we should have a start to the new park by 2022-23.”

For more information about the refurbishment of The Rusty, please visit: Prestonfield Play Park Project.

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