A FAMILY play festival is back in Parkwood next week for the third year running.

The Big Local Children’s Play Festival will be held at the play area on Parkwood Street on Tuesday, August 1 from 12.30pm to 4pm.

The Keighley Big Local Partnership, made up of residents living in the lower Worth Valley between Stockbridge and Ingrow, will organise the event.

Big Local is a regeneration programme spending £1 million of lottery money over a ten-year period in the ‘Keighley Valley' zone.

Big Local coordinator Shaun O’Hare said the play festival was the brainchild of children living in the Parkwood area and was first held in 2015 using a £500 grant from Big Local.

He said: “The original idea was to host a fun day for children with the aim of growing it every year.

“The youngest member of the Big Local Partnership is Bingley school pupil and Parkwood resident Jack Armitage.

“He has helped in the planning of this year’s event and will be helping out on the day. Activities will be provided by local businesses.”

Activities will include Music in Motion for pre-school children from Weeny Boppers, a wild food barbecue by the Healthy Growth Initiative, first aid fun by GEM Compliance Training, outdoor fitness by Inside Out, spoon puppets by Judy Connor, and Forest School activities by Get Out More.

Bradford Council’s community play team will take along large inflatables entitled the Wipeout and Rodeo Bull.

Jack Armitage said it was great to see the children having fun each year in the best way possible.

He added: “They love our little festival and I’ve enjoyed helping organise it. I’m already looking forward to making it even better next year.”

Mr O’Hare said the play festival was a genuine grassroots event, born out of the ideas of children attending open access sessions at the Parkwood Centre for Young People three years ago.

He said: “It is mostly local families who attend and this year all the providers are local too.

"The Partnership has from day one encouraged local business to help us meet the aims set out in the Big Local Plan.

“One of the many successes of Keighley Big Local so far has been the building of partnerships and supporting new and growing small businesses through commissions, grants and signposting and referral to specific organisational support Big Local areas can tap into.

“It’s great to see a bunch of them coming together for the Play Day.”