New playground installed at a park in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea by the town council

Located near Grace Darling Church of England Primary School, it has a train theme in tribute to the Newbiggin branch of the railway that served passengers in the town until the 1960s.

The playground was built by Newbiggin by the Sea Town Council at a cost of £39,000.

Cllr Alison Sutherland, Mayor of Newbiggin, praised the “bright, colourful and fun” equipment and said: “We hope it brings enjoyment for everyone using it.”

The new playground was tested out by Ruby, Freddie, and Esmerelda from local nursery Little Acorns.

Representatives from Ashington Leisure Partnership, a charity that supports sport and recreation in the area, also attended to present the town council with a £20,000 contribution towards the equipment’s cost.

Partnership trustees Brian Storey and Colin Redpath said: “The trustees of Ashington Leisure Partnership welcomed the opportunity to become involved with Newbiggin Town Council in the refurbishment of a play area project in central Newbiggin.

“The grant application from the town council was well presented at our management meeting by Elaine, the town clerk, and the trustees all agreed to provide a grant towards the play area project.

“We are sure the children of Newbiggin will enjoy the new greatly improved facilities for many years to come and Ashington Leisure Partnership is more than happy to support community projects.”

Mayor Sutherland added: “The successful funding bid is brilliant news for our community and we are extremely grateful to Ashington Leisure Partnership for their support.”