A Dundee community project has received a £250,000 National Lottery grant to give a new and positive focus to a neighbourhood which has battled to overcome the problems of deprivation.
The Whitfield Development Group has received the cash to build a recreational park on an unused piece of land at Lothian Crescent.
Whitfield Green will give 7,000 people space to play, exercise and socialise. There will be a fenced, multi-use games area, youth shelters, fixed outdoor exercise equipment, children’s play equipment, seating areas and planting.
With the new Ballumbie Primary School and The Crescent life services building nearby, Whitfield Green will provide a new heart for a community which in the past did not have its problems to seek.
George Roberts, development group chairman, said: “We are delighted to receive this funding to allow this project to go ahead. With the other new facilities, we are putting a new heart into Whitfield which should enhance the quality of life for all of the people and not repeat the mistakes of the past.
“When Whitfield was built, many thousands of people were sent to live here but there were little or no facilities for them. That was one of the main reasons why this area suffered such social problems and had such a negative image.
“This can all change with the new facilities which, in the case of the green, we hope will be appreciated and well used. This is a very good day for Whitfield and we thank the Big Lottery Fund for their generosity.”