Elemie Wainwright: Appeal to restore beloved park in memory of Sheffield schoogirl raises £21,000 in a week
Tens of thousands of pounds have been raised to restore a playground loved by Sheffield schoolgirl Elemie Wainwright.
The Mosborough community is still reeling this week following the tragic death of Elemie in a collision with a van on High Street on June 12. She was 11.
Now, a fundraiser launched by her mother Jodie to rebuild a climbing frame at her daughter’s favourite park on has raised over £21,000 in just a week.
The funds will be donated to the Friends of Plumbley Park, which was set up only in late May after a huge section of the play equipment was condemned by the council over safety concerns.
Secretary Amy Kealey told The Star: “We are all so grateful to Jodie and her family that they have chosen to support the fundraiser.
“Anyone will tell you how important the park is. It’s only a minute’s walk from Mosborough Primary School. At 3.15pm every day, after school, the park is absolutely packed.”
It comes after the park’s central climbing frame had to be closed in May before it was torn down in early June.
Amy said: “The council’s safety officers came to meet us and showed us themselves - if you pressed on the frame, it rocked back and forth.
“The kids were really upset about it, of course. The park is absolutely loved. But it wasn’t safe anymore.”
Amy says the Friends were formed in a matter of days by parents who wanted to restore the park, and have been supported by Mosborough ward councillors Gail Smith and Tony Downing, as well as Clive Betts MP.
Another committee member, Rachael Rodley, said estimates to build a new climbing frame start at £30,000.
Rachael said: “The park is such a central part of the community.
“As far as I’m aware, there is £100,000 allocated to Sheffield City Council for park maintenance. There simply isn’t the money to build a new frame, which I understand.
“As a community, though, I think we’re very proactive. We’re not ones to rest on our laurels, so we decided early we would get together and get it sorted for the children.”
The group were already planning to hold fundraiser events in Mosborough, and have enlisted the help of Mosborough Primary’s schoolchildren to create a new logo for the park.
However, no one could have foreseen the events of June 12.
The fundraiser created by Elemie’s mother, Jodie Wainwright, bears a picture of the schoolgirl playing on one of the climbing frames.
The page reads: “The park meant so much to Elemie and we would love to raise as much funds as possible in order to restore the park in her memory.
“Elemie spent endless days there after school, playing and laughing with her friends whilst waiting for the ice cream van, Elemie just loved being there! She never wanted to leave!
“Plumbley Park will always hold a special place in our hearts!
“There is a local group of parents and residents working together to bring the park back! Let's try give them a head start... for Elemie!”
The fundraising total now stands at over £21,000. Several donations are worth hundreds of pounds, including £1,000 from surfacing company MBP Ltd, £500 from Howe Group Ltd, and an astonishing anonymous donation of £2,000.
Amy and Rachael said the Friends of Plumbley Park have been touched by Jodie’s page and the incredible outpouring of support in the past week.
Amy said: “We are so grateful to everyone in the community for donating as much as they have as have and to Jodie for choosing to support the appeal.
“We want to get the park back up to what it was and see the kids out playing again.
“We will be looking at securing grants and holding future fundraising events to raise as much as possible and make the park the best it can be for the whole of the community.”
A police investigation into the circumstances around the fatal collision involving Elemie on the afternoon of June 12 remains ongoing. A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of death by dangerous driving and traffic offences. South Yorkshire Police has said he has been “fully co-operating with officers” and has been released on bail.
Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact police by calling 101, quoting incident number 758 of June 12, 2025.