Community in Garlieston celebrates after saving local school and opening £400,000 play area

• Video report by Natasha Potts

A rural coastal community in Scotland has managed to raise nearly half a million pounds to give its children's play area a makeover.

Residents of Garlieston in Dumfries in Galloway joined together to open the new playground which they raised £400,000 for, following safety concerns with the old one.

The new addition has been named Mulberry Park in a nod to the role the area played during WWII.

Garlieston was used ahead of the D-Day landing for testing the the flotation of parts.

The equipment that was rolled off the ships and onto the beach was also built on what was Mulberry Harbour.

'It's given the village life again'

It is not the first the community have worked together to improve the local area, having previously saved the village school five years ago.

Parent Laura Whitehead said: "It's given the village life again, to see the kids playing outside instead of indoors is brilliant."

Robert Taylor from Garlieston Community Council says working together on projects has helped create a buzz around the village but also allowed residents to engage with those from surrounding areas.

He said: "It's brought the community together especially after the last two years that everyone's had to give us what we have now."

On child told ITV Border: "It's fun and everybody enjoys it. I've been here like every day when  I'm down here at grannies and me and my brother have so much fun.

"I like the pirate ship. It's better than the other one. It's brilliant."

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