CHRISTMAS came early for Cairneyhill kids at the weekend as Santa officially opened two new play parks worth £124,000 in the village on Sunday.

Thanks to the efforts of the Cairneyhill Play Park Project, youngsters now have roundabouts, climbing frames and even a zip wire to enjoy at South Acres and Main Street.

Villagers raised £10,000 towards the project, with a further £52,000 coming from sportscotland, £27,000 from the Fife Environment Trust, and £35,000 from Fife Council.

Mum-of-three Jen Rippin, a project committee member, said, “There was nothing in the play parks, they were so run-down and there are a lot of kids in the village so we thought we should get something done.

“We had to show that the community could do it themselves as well before we applied for grants – we did a door-to-door collection and got over £3000 and held various fund-raising events.

“The kids seem to love the new parks and the children of the village will benefit from them for years to come.

“There was a great turnout, even in the rain, so we can only imagine how busy and well-used they will be as the weather improves!”

“It was hard work but it's been totally worth it. A big thank-you to our sponsors. We're very grateful for the support of the community and couldn't have done it without their help.”