NEW gateways celebrating the heritage and culture of the Dearne area have been designed by local pupils and now unveiled at Welfare Park.

The park has benefited from significant improvements as part of the Goldthorpe Town Deal, a £23.1m investment from the Towns Fund which is transforming the local area.

New access roads, pathways, car parking and CCTV have been installed throughout the park.

Now, to add a personal touch to the work, pupils from the nearby Astrea Academy have been called up to design two new archways welcoming people to the park.

Featuring miners’ lamps and theatre masks - highlighting the area’s mining heritage and adjacent Dearne Playhouse - pupils aimed to celebrate what makes up the Dearne’s identity.

Holly Mills, careers leader at Astrea Academy Dearne, said: “We are honoured our students have been able to play their part in the wonderful improvements to Welfare Park through our Shaping Futures project.

“I’m grateful to the council for inviting us to be involved and hope the students will be proud of the results of their hard work, which will be enjoyed for years to come.”

The pupils benefited from work experience with the council teams, and multiple groups have now been offered work placements in council areas including major projects, human resources and public health.

Coun Robin Franklin, cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, added: “We are passionate about giving everyone in Barnsley the chance to develop their skills, and this project at Welfare Park is an example of this vision in action.

“I congratulate the students on their hard work and creativity and hope everyone will enjoy using the new gateways.

“We are proud of the improvements to the Dearne Playhouse and Welfare Park and are determined to continue investing in a bright future for Goldthorpe and the Dearne.”