Perth & Kinross Council and The Friends of Aberfeldy Parklands have recently been rewarded for their commitment to children's play and the success achieved in delivering one of Scotland's best play areas.

The community group and Council representatives were thrilled and honoured to receive the Nancy Ovens Trust's 'Best Community Award for Play' for Victoria Park by Adam Ingram MSP and Chair of the Nancy Ovens Trust, Fraser Falconer, who is also Head of BBC Children in Need for Scotland.

Fiona Fraser, Secretary of The Friends of Aberfeldy Parklands, said: "Making the shortlist was a tremendous accolade in itself, but to actually win the Best Community Award for Play was just so unexpected and truly wonderful. It's such a huge achievement for a small park in a small town and is something everyone in Aberfeldy should be justifiably proud of as the Victoria Park we see today would not have been possible without the wholehearted support of our local community."


The Nancy Ovens Trust was formed in 2003 in memory of Nancy Ovens MBE who campaigned tirelessly for over 40 years to improve play and youth work opportunities for children and young people across Scotland, the UK and internationally.

An aim of the Trust is the promotion and the development of quality children's play provision and to this end it established the Nancy Ovens Play Awards, which are now in their fourth year.

In mid 2005, the Council and The Friends of Aberfeldy Parklands formed a partnership to bring about significant changes to Victoria Park. Through the generous contributions of a range of funding organisations and the ongoing support and commitment to the project by the wider community, the Friends were able to celebrate the opening of the park in September 2007 after £250,000 of regeneration works were carried out, refreshing and magnifying the appeal of a highly popular Highland Perthshire park.

Councillor Ken Lyall, a former Vice-Convener of the Environment Committee and and member of the Friends of Aberfeldy Parkland group since its inception in 2005 said: "I agree with all of Fiona's comments in that this award wouldn’t have been possible without the full support of the community and the hard work and dedication of the core 'friends of' group to take forward the much-needed improvements."

(GK/JM)