I bought an ice rink on eBay...

When Dawn Conway spotted the unusual item on the internet bidding site, she never imagined that just months down the line she would be opening an ice rink for the town in an old mill building.

The grandmother-of-three’s original plan was to create a play gym, where all families, including those with disabled children, could enjoy themselves.

It’s a mission close to Dawn’s heart. Her daughter Laurie, now 29, is severely disabled, and Dawn often struggled to find children’s play gyms which could accommodate both her daughters when they were younger.

She set a plan in action to transform Monsall Mill into the play haven, but ran into unexpected difficulty when she found her business loan would not cover the money needed to provide adequate disabled access.

But undeterred, full-time carer Dawn, 56, hopes money raised from running the Urban Pirates ice rink well help to realise her dream.

“I was just looking for soft play stuff on eBay and I came across this business which was selling an ice rink,” said Dawn, of Sowerby Bridge.

“Then it got the final night, and it hadn’t gone so I asked my daughter to bid on it.

“We just went for it. It came in individual pieces and we got a professional company to install it. I never thought I would be buying an ice rink off eBay.

“A few of the kids from Warley Town School came down for an opening night and they had a great time, it was amazing.

“I think it’s going to have a lot of attraction for people - we want to make somewhere for all the family we don’t want it to be too expensive.”

Dawn hopes the play gym, complete with access, facilities and activities for families with disabled children, will open within the next year.

The ice rink, based at Monsall Mill, Miall Street, Pellon, will be open weekdays from 3pm until 9m and weekends from 10am until 9pm, costing £5 for an hour of skating and skate hire. There will be an introductory price of £3.50 this weekend.

Visit www.facebook.com/UrbanPiratesHalifax for more information.