Border Telegraph | News | Group has everything to play for in TV cash game

Wednesday, 20th August, 2008

Published: Tuesday, 18th October, 2005 10:33

Group has everything to play for in TV cash game

By Border Telegraph Newsroom

A SELKIRK playgroup will battle it out on the box for bundles of cash.

Leaders from the Argus Playgroup will appear on ITV’s People’s Millions in a fortnight to state their case for a new park.

And hope to convince viewers to vote for them in the head-to-head appeal.

Pauline Henderson, treasurer at the Argus Playgroup, told the Border Telegraph: “We really can’t believe we have got this far.

“Now we are here, we are ecstatic about the prospect of winning.

“There is a lack of play facilities in Selkirk and many people need to take their children to Hawick. On a beautiful day the children have to stay indoors and play – there’s nowhere outside for them to go.

“If we win then everything we have planned could be started straight away, and it may even set the momentum to create other play-care areas in Selkirk.”

The Argus Playgroup hopes to transform a derelict patch of neighbouring land into a safe play area.

Julie Clyne, secretary of the playgroup, said: “This would be the first of its kind in the town. We really need somewhere safe for the children to play.”

But they face stiff opposition for the £50,000 Big Lottery Fund prize from Dalbeattie Community Initiative’s Faces of Stone project.

The Galloway group hopes to create a community carving-site.

Paddy Merrall, managing director of ITV Borders, said: “The People’s Millions initiative is a great opportunity for the Lookaround viewers to make an impact on lottery funding which will directly benefit their local communities.

“The shortlisted projects all work towards hugely important causes and I wish them the best of luck.”

The Big Lottery Fund and a public panel assessed dozens of entries to come up with a shortlist of four projects.

On Tuesday, November 1, two Cumbrian projects battle it out for the £50,000.

And the following evening the Selkirk playgroup gets its chance during the Border News broadcast.

Dharmendra Kanani, Scottish director of the Big Lottery Fund, told us: “The People’s Millions is a fantastic opportunity for lottery players to have a direct say in where their lottery pound is spent.

“I have been highly impressed with the commitment and enthusiasm of the people behinds the projects which will face the public vote.”

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