His Worship the Mayor Councillor Jon Joughin was among guests who attended the official opening of Lester's Yard in Ballaughton Park on Friday February 14, a new adventure playground offering a unique play experience delivered by charity Isle of Play in partnership with Douglas Borough Council.

The Council provided the site to the charity on a lease and invested in the region of £50,000 to build a cabin with toilet facilities, new boundary fencing and a new car park adjacent to Albany Lawn Tennis Club.

Named in memory of Stuart Lester, a University of Gloucester lecturer and leading figure in the field of play, Lester’s Yard is staffed and play experiences delivered by a team of Isle of Play playworkers to children between the ages of four and 17.

His Worship, together with councillors, chief officers, Isle of Play team members and trustees heard Mary Lester, Stuart Lester's widow, express her delight with the new project which illustrated so well her late husband's passion for promoting opportunities for children to develop through play and she thanked the Council for its support. 

Isle of Play chief executive officer Chris Gregory said: ‘We could never have realised Lester's Yard without the support and generosity of the Council.  Lester's Yard  is a first for the island and a way of giving children their chilhood back.'