Hi my name is Katie and I am a resident of the Lough area.

I use the Lough playground daily with my 3 kids.

The Lough holds a special place in all our hearts. Its vast catchment area serves as a recreational haven for numerous families and individuals from various corners. However, the current state of the playground is in need of renovation and improvement to make it accessible and engaging for all. Instead of patching up the various holes in the playground we need to properly renovate whilst also making it a more inclusive space for kids of all needs and abilities.

I have previously set up a petition to gain the attention of the council for funding.

They have verbally agreed to a certain amount but the plans they have set out do not align with our vision for the playground that the Lough deserves. So I have decided to start fundraising to put together as much as we can along with the councils funding.

The Lough playground is more than just swings and slides. It is a site of countless shared memories and an important social node facilitating connections amongst community members. Neglecting this playground means failing our community and the generations to come. Let's refurbish the Lough playground and ensure it remains a valuable asset for the entire community. We understand the cost of everything is very high and we are living in trying times but please give any amount you can.

Public spaces, particularly playgrounds, are critical for community well-being and children's development. Access to play is a fundamental right of every child, as recognized by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). In the UK studies have found that improved local playgrounds significantly enhance community integration and children’s physical, emotional and social development (Government UK, 2015). By investing in this cause the local council can help foster better growth, sense of community and inclusivity in the community while also promoting outdoor play and physical activity.

My actual goal is a lot more; it’s €150,000 but go fund me automatically reduced it to €18,000 for some reason. 

The council have agreed to €150,000 which would include making the area bigger and putting new fencing around most of it to protect kids from the water. 

It would include new swings, a slide, and a middle area like they have now so it’s not much different to what’s there now. 

My vision is much bigger and better than that I’m thinking along the line of Murphy’s farm, ballincollig park type of playgrounds (well as close to them as we can get) so it’s going to cost a lot more than €150k. 

Hence why I decided to start fundraising for it an we will amalgamate the money we raise with the councils money.

I’m going to be going to local businesses asking if they can help out and maybe sponsor certain parts of the playground etc.

I’m really hoping the community will get behind us and push this on so we can finally have the playground we deserve. 

The council has stated they plan to start works by the end of this year but these things can always take longer than expected.

I’ve been trying to get funding from them for several years now but I’m hopeful they will come through. 

I’m more than happy to answer any questions anyone has and I’m very grateful for the support. 

I’m just so passionate about the Lough  as I also grew up here and I’ve seen it be disregarded by the council for too long now and really want to change it. 

TD Pádraig Rice and councillor Niamh O’Connor are helping me and we are planning to try get funding for the whole Lough for footpaths etc but we are starting with the playground first.