Inverclyde playscheme hits the road to fund summer fun

Youth Connections in Larkfield is back in action in Burns Square offering local youngsters activities during the school holidays.

Thanks to funding from Inverclyde Council's community grants scheme, the leaders are putting on the playscheme for three weeks.

Most recently the group of kids took part in a sponsored walk to the Esplanade to raise money for the project.

Youth Connections sponsored walk (Image: George Munro)

And they were delighted to get an ice cream cone when they crossed the finishing line.

Friends Kloe Wade, 10, Charlie McIntyre and Lauren Brown, 9, are loving the holiday play scheme.

Lauren said: "It gives us something to do in the holidays and we see our friends."

Every day around 30 kids are turning up with difference events every day.

Leading the Youth Connections group was leaders Stephen Thomson and Aaron Fulton.

Burns Square play scheme (Image: George Munro)

Aaron said: "I used to go to the playscheme when I was younger and now I am one of the leaders. I helped out first for a couple of years."

After walking from Burns Square to the waterfront, the Youth Connections group headed for the Esplanade Cafe.

Owner Tania Medinelli said: "It is always lovely to see the kids coming down and we love handing out the ice creams. We are having a busy summer with plenty of visitors to the Esplanade."

Youth Connections' senior development officer Claire Farr is over the moon that they are able to help out families in Larkfield with the play scheme.

She said: "There is a real need for the playscheme and we see that by the number of children who come every day.

"We like to make it as varied as possible. We organise the sponsored walk to the Esplanade to try to fund a day out for the young people later on."

"We run activities with other groups as well."

During the three weeks the playscheme is on, the group will also be working on an inter generational project with the Wishes group, set up for older people,  who meet in the facility.

Find out more about the playscheme and Youth Connections' wider work at youthconnections.co.uk.