SCHOOLCHILDREN from the Whitehall area of Darwen have just one thing on their wish list - a new playground fit for the 21st century.

Now the Friends of Whitehall Park - volunteers who monitor and maintain the park - hope to answer their prayers and bring new equipment to the park.

The Friends have helped maintain and improve the park in recent years but now appreciate the priority is a new playground.

June Ellison, from the group, said: "It desperately needs updating. The equipment is dated and the surface tatty. The children come down the slide and land in a puddle and there's nowhere for parents to sit.

We set up the Friends group because it was the only way we could get money to do things up in the park because we are not classed as a deprived area. We have asked children from Ashleigh and St Barnabas primary schools to write an essay and draw pictures of what they would like to see in the park and the headteachers will pick the best from each school.

After all, they are the ones who will be using the play area so the future's in their hands."

Youngsters have already come up with some of their own designs which cater for younger primary school age children up to teenagers who wanted more energetic activities.

Ideas include traditional swings, roundabouts, climbing frames and slides, as well as skate boarding half-pipes and sports pitches.

Ward councillor Karimeh Foster said: "The Friends do a lot of good work and I am very proud of them. I can point them in the right direction as far as getting funding from the council and external funding officers.

"The play equipment has been there about 15 years and could do with updating. If the surfaces are not safe they will need replacing. It is good that the children have been consulted because the decision is not just for parents."

The Friends plan to apply to various sources of funding in a bid to transform the area.