Immingham fundraiser Elysia (7) is top of the castle - or should that be top of the climbing frame?

                                                                  

Thumbs-up from Elysia, of Immingham, plus family members and friends

AN Immingham park now has new play equipment thanks to a £2,500 fundraising drive by a seven-year-old girl.

Elysia Nicolaou, who lives near Pilgrim Park, raised the money after an arson attack on her favourite climbing frame in April this year.

Helped by her mum, Vicky Shakespeare, Elysia launched her own fundraising page and asked people to sponsor her to walk across the Humber Bridge and back.

Teachers and friends from her school, Pilgrim Academy, got behind her and Elysia’s big-heartedness inspired about 50 others to take part in the walk in June.

Her fundraising target was £500 but her efforts resulted in lots of donations from family, friends and businesses and she raised more than five-times that amount.

Elysia, along with her mum and nanna Nadine Haigh,  handed over a donation of £2,536 to North East Lincolnshire Council’s grounds maintenance team, in August, and the money has funded a  multi-playframe  with a climbing net, climbing bars and a pole, a slide and firefighter’s pole.

Says Elysia: "When the old frame got burned down, I was really, really sad as  it was my favourite bit of the park that I used to play on with my friends.

"I hope everyone will like the replacement a lot."