Welcome To Alne Village

11-April-2024: Alne Recreation Ground – Access Path

The APLA Trustees are really pleased to be able to announce that they have now secured sufficient funding to make the long-proposed Access Path in the Recreation Ground a reality. Grants from The Friends of St. Monica’s (£10,000) and from North Yorkshire Sport (funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund through North Yorkshire Council) (£20,000), will be supplemented by a contribution from APLA Funds. As a consequence, we have been able to appoint a contractor who should be able to start work in the summer. With good weather and a fair wind, we expect to have a path up and running before the Autumn.

The project will involve a 1.5-metre-wide stone path (similar to the one at Millfield in Easingwold) that runs around the perimeter of the field. It will pass through and around the Orchard Area. In addition, a link path from the car park entrance will join the path and go across to the Tennis Courts and the MUGA. The result will be to open up the whole of the Recreation Ground to groups and individuals for whom access is currently impossible. A distance of around 700 metres will be available to wheelchair users, prams & pushchairs, runners and casual strollers. We anticipate that this will invigorate enjoyment of the Orchard Area in particular.

We are hoping that the new pathways together with easier access will encourage increased use by our two local Care Home residents and by the children attending Outwood Primary Academy Alne.

We will install a new accessible gate at the entrance, courtesy of a generous donation from the Pearson Trust. Together with a new large hard standing area this will facilitate easy entrance from the car park for prams and wheelchairs in particular.

Finally, we intend to create flagged or concrete pads to allow for the fixing of benches around the Access Trail. Initially we plan to install 4 pads and we will shortly invite residents to sponsor one or more benches maybe as a memorial to a loved one.

We are extremely grateful to all three of the agencies who have made this project possible and to the many local residents who have contributed to the planning process.

If anyone would like more details of the scheme, or just have a question, then contact Ian McCrae who can be found at [email protected]

23-Feb-2024: Alne Recreation Ground – Update

There has been quite a lot of progress since the APLA Trustees embarked on a programme of remedial work and Project-focussed innovations for the Recreation Ground. 

Repairs and renewals within the Play Area are nearly complete.  The Zip-Wire has been repaired and a new safety mat under the Carousel has been fitted. A new BEE springer is there for the younger children and new tyres on the trim trail for older ones.  The See-Saw has two new seats and the Willow Tree area has been made into a secret hideaway.  We have yet to replace the Wind Chimes but a generous grant from the Pearson Trust has helped us on our way and we expect to have a quite exciting new feature within the next two months. All the woodwork still needs painting and we will be starting that process with a painting party scheduled for Saturday March 9th.  If you are interested in joining in then please contact Debbie Bell ( [email protected] ) or Hannah Pilling ( [email protected] ).

The football group have agreed a suitable size and location for a Junior Football Pitch and we will shortly be arranging a ground levelling and then purchasing new mini goalposts and nets.

The rabbit fencing has been repaired and the Orchard Area has been given a facelift by a professional tree surgeon.  600 bluebells have been planted (thank-you 1st Kyle Scout Troop) and fingers crossed for a show this April.  If you have not been to the Orchard lately it is well worth a visit – although of course still a work in progress.

The new but currently marooned container has been purchased and we hope to have it in its final resting place by April when the ground is firmer.  About £16,000 has been spent so far on items prioritised as essential or desirable with perhaps a further £5,000 to go. This money comes entirely from the profits made by the annual Street Fayre so supporting this brings direct benefit to residents of Alne and the surrounding parishes.

Turning to the bigger projects.  We are fortunate to have received a grant of £20,000 from the National Lottery towards the cost of a Space Net for the Play Area. Because we chose a 5-metre-high structure we have had to obtain planning permission and that has introduced a slight delay.  However, we will shortly be in a position to confirm a supply and installation contract for £27,000 with the balance coming from APLA funds.  With a fair wind we hope to have the Space Net up before the day of the Street Fayre.

We have already received £10,000 from the Friends of St Monica’s towards the costs of the Access Trail project. The outcome of a bid from the Rural Capital Fund (Levelling up) will come shortly and we are hopeful of success.  If so, that should make the Trail project viable.

Finally, we have a bid in to the FCC Communities Fund for a substantial sum to support a complete refurbishment of the Multi-use Games Area (MUGA).  We do not expect a response from them until April as they do not meet until mid-March.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns about the above please contact Ian McCrae who can be found at [email protected]

Alne Street Fayre: Is the annual fund-raising event for Alne Parish Leisure Association (APLA, UK Charity number 516566) to raise funds for the maintenance and improvement of the Alne playground, recreation areas and sports field. Click on the Street Fayre photo below to go straight to the Alne Street Fayre website.