A FATHER and son’s dream to turn an ‘unsafe’ play area into an under 15s fun park is one step closer to reality after a surprise donation.

Oswaldtwistle’s West End Play Area Campaign members Sean and David Reid have now collected £27,000 towards the project.

They said they were ‘stunned’ after receiving £375 from charity group Denise’s Dos they were not expecting.

The money was raised by John Ward, who held a ball in honour of his late wife Denise who died from cancer last December.

David, 13, has been fighting to transform the run-down Blackburn Road site since 2012 when he entered a playground revamp competition run by margarine company Flora in a bid to win the top £30,000 prize.

He said that he and his eight-year-old brother Jack and two-year-old sister Megan had only used the park a handful of times despite living close by.

Despite coming second in the contest he and his father decided to push ahead with his plan to create a spruced up play area for two to 15-year-olds that they estimate will cost in between £50-80,000. Sean said: “We found out that we had been given the money completely out of the blue.

“We were stunned and didn’t even realise that they had been fundraising for us which shows that the word is getting out about our plans.

“The money will go in our fund and we just want to say a massive thank you to them for helping us get one step closer to achieving our aim.”

David said: “I think that West End park is currently unsafe and it could also be a lot bigger.

“I just want to help make my area better and make the park somewhere young people will want to go instead of on the streets.”

To support the play area campaign call Sean on 07773 990044 or alternatively visit the website westendplayarea.wordpress.com.