Staff and pupils at a Weymouth primary school celebrated as a new play park opened.

St Nicholas and St Laurence primary school in Broadway unveiled a new climbing frame in the school’s playground after five years of fundraising.

Staff, pupils and parents gathered on the playground to watch Anthony Moore, Chair of Governors, deliver a speech outlining the hard work that has gone in to bringing the play park to fruition.

Cllr Thomas Taylor, deputy mayor of Weymouth, was also in attendance where he gave a speech before cutting the ribbon to declare the climbing frame open.

Wayne Roberts, headteacher at the school, said: “It’s taken five years to fundraise for this. It’s so exciting that the play park is now officially open!

“Thank you to our wonderful PTFA team for all the fundraising they have done to make this happen. We are a small school, with only one class per year group so to raise such a huge amount has been impressive.”

Over £15,000 was donated by the school’s PTFA from fundraising events throughout the year. Children enjoyed discos, cake sales and pop-up shops where they could buy gifts for their loved ones all in the name of raising money for the play park.

A further £800 was donated from St Nicholas Church and St Laurence Church with the school academy providing the remaining funds.

Kim McDonald, chair of the PTFA, said: “It was a very emotional day. To see all the hard work pay off like this was amazing. All those school discos and bake sales have been worth it.

“We’ve got such a supportive school community of parents, carers and teachers that this really is a joint achievement that we’ve all pulled off together and I can’t thank everyone enough!”

The play park comes in addition to the two new table tennis tables recently added to the playground.

Vicky Morris, deputy head of St Nicholas and St Laurence School, said: “It’s just lovely, it’s made the space feel so much fuller. The children are just beyond excited.”

Weymouth school opens new play park after fundraising | Dorset Echo