A PLAYGROUND to be proud of has been unveiled at the heart of a Worcester housing estate.

It has taken two years of hard graft to transform a derelict patch of land in Tolladine into a safe haven for youngsters.

Now at last the Rose Avenue play area is officially open.

About 50 youngsters visited the park on Saturday to see the red ribbon being cut, admire the brightly painted mural they helped create, keep warm under the new shelter and test out the football pitch.

It has been a rollercoaster ride for residents since the land was vandalised four years ago, prompting local children to petition for new play equipment and ask Worcester Community Housing (WCH) for help.

Earlier this year, they got through to the Goodyear's 2008 playground appeal, only to lose out on a £10,000 grant in the final. Then, in September, WCH was awarded £35,000 by the Worcestershire Play Partnership and work began.

WCH customer involvement co-ordinator Kate Sisman said: “When people come up and tell you this is just what Tolladine needs, it makes it all worthwhile.

“When we started the consultation work about two years ago we though about building a play area for toddlers. Then it became clear that the older kids, eight to 13-year-olds, needed somewhere to hang out and feel safe.

“What’s important now is that the kids feel they have some ownership of what’s here and that this is their play area.”

Friends Reece Warren, aged 10, and Jadie Finlow, aged 11, helped to open the park by cutting the ribbon on Saturday morning.

Jadie is particularly pleased with the new shelter. She said: “It’s really nice because when it’s raining we’ve got somewhere to sit and talk.”

Walls around the play area were painted by London-based artist Darren Cullen, whose inspiration came from drawings and designs that local children created at specially held workshops.