A GROUP of residents in Keyworth have launched a campaign for a new activity park in the village.
They want to see equipment installed on the Nottingham Road side of the Rectory field and will be holding a presentation about their idea at the next full Keyworth Parish Council meeting on Monday.
Brian Lund, who has lived in Keyworth for 44 years and used to teach at South Wolds school, is one of the people behind the plan.
He said: "When I worked at the school I could see there was an obvious need for facilities for young people to use in their spare time.
"There is a wealth of sports clubs in the village but nothing where young people can do unorganised activities at their leisure."
In 2009 a Village Plan group was set up in Keyworth to look into how the community could be developed for the benefit of all.
Mr Lund was part of the group, and that was when the idea for the activity park was formed.
Mr Lund added: "We sent out questionnaires and the need for a Teen Park, as we called it then, was identified. Since then it has gone a bit quiet but the Village Plan group has been working on locations for where the park should be, along with the county council's youth service.
"We have identified the Rectory recreation ground as the best location."
The group want to see a five-a-side football pitch, a basketball court and 10 pieces of permanent gym equipment on the land.
"The idea is that it will be a space for all ages to use, from teens to pensioners having an exercise group there. The equipment will only take up 10 per cent of the field, but we know there has already been talk of opposition from other groups in the village."
The field is of historical importance as it is an example of ridged and furrowed land. It is also the site of the annual travelling fair and it used to belong to the Church of England.
Chairman of the Village Plan group and father-of-four Tom Atack said the park would cost around £100,000 and that the group had started applying for grants to fund the project.
He said: "When we surveyed the village we got a huge response.
"At the moment young people just hang around on the recreation ground which can come across as intimidating to some people."
Both Mr Lund and Mr Atack encouraged residents to come along to the meeting to hear more about the plans.
It will be held on Monday from 7pm in the Centenary Lounge at the Village Hall in Elm Avenue.
