Play & Activity August 2017

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Government strategy for sport reports successful first year

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Sport has met for the first time since the General Election.

Tracey Crouch MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Sport and Civil Society, outlined the progress made since the Sporting Future strategy was launched one year ago.

Mary Lubrano, FSPA Communications Manager, said: “Sporting Future is focussed on protecting and growing the sector so that everyone can benefit from the power of sport.

“Of course, there are economic benefits but the strategy is also firmly committed to the physical and mental impact that sport can have, as well as its effect on social and community development.”

Sporting Future has joined-up the sector so that it can work effectively to drive

up participation in sport for everyone.

“Crouch explained that while elite sport certainly inspires participation we need also to future-proof the sector by making sport relevant to people as their habits evolve over coming years,” she added. “This means continually identifying groups who are disengaged and finding new and relevant ways of connecting with them.”

The document has also changed the way participation is measured. “Crouch found that, by and large, young children’s participation in sport across the country was not being accurately reflected, and, with the amount of great work being done at grassroots level in children’s sport, this was hugely unfair.

“So, Sporting Future sets out to assess precisely who is doing what to enable funding to be directed where it’s needed most. The work on getting

School’s out for shake ups

Sport England is working with Disney and Public Health England (PHE) to get children between the ages of five and 12 active over the summer holidays.

The number of children meeting the recommended amount of physical activity – that’s 60 minutes a day as recommended by PHE – drops by 40% between the ages of five to 12. And a new study by PHE and Disney reveals that the majority of 5-11 year-olds feel happier, more confident and more sociable when they’re active.

“Tackling inactivity is a key part our Towards an Active Nation strategy, and we’re using National Lottery funding to support families and children to get active together,” said Mike Diaper, director of children and young people.

The programme offers fun, 10-minute activities featuring their favourite Disney characters

as inspiration. Each activity can be done anywhere with small or large groups of friends. Just 23% of boys and 20% of girls meet the recommended level of activity. And one in five children starting primary school or overweight or obese. That rises to more than a third by the time they leave.

The study, which looked into children’s wellbeing, also found:

• Nearly all children said they liked being active (93%)

• The main motivations for kids to be more active was having friends to join in (53%) and having more activities they liked to choose from (48%)

• Children’s overall happiness declines with age - 64% of 5 and 6-year-olds said they always feel happy, compared to just 48% of 11-year-olds

• 19% of children said they were less active due to a

more women into sport is a great example of how accurate assessment has driven the activities of the strategy.

“But it was the government’s work on developing a governance code for NGBs which was, perhaps, the stand-out news story of the day. Crouch was able to

report excellent progress on this, saying that the UK will set the gold standard for governance across the world. A press release will be issued next week by the department with further details.

“The strategy has been wellreceived since its launch and the MP thanked everyone in the

room for helping to implement it. Crouch added that it was her intention to grow the grassroots and encourage the elite because they are one and the same thing – both encouraging more participation and a more active nation.”

FSPA Enquiry 57

API membership appoint new executive committee

lack of sports or activities they enjoyed.

A number of Team GB athletes are supporting the campaign –including Olympic swimmer Keri-anne Payne. She says:

“Physical activity has always been an important part of my life, as I started swimming from a very young age. But being active is not just for Olympians, it’s for everyone.

“The 10 Minute Shake Ups provide a load of fun activities to get kids moving more. Anyone can try them and they are a great way for kids, their friends and the whole family to get moving throughout the summer.”

Sport England Enquiry 58

The Association of Play Industries (API) held its Annual General Meeting and appointed seven Executive Officers. Three new candidates were appointed for a two-year period - Steve Sylvester, MD Kompan UK, Mark Wood, MD of Playforce Ltd and Bill Worthington, General Manager Abacus Playgrounds.

Rob Baker, MD of Proludic, Mark Grace, MD HAGS SMP; Helen Jones, MD of RTC Safety Surfaces; Andrew Sparrow, MD of Fenland Leisure and Charlie Howard, MD Wicksteed Playgrounds have also been elected for a further two-year tenure.

API Chair Mark Hardy says: “Our Executive Committee is a team of passionately committed play

industry experts who dedicate their time and efforts for free to improve quality and standards, and to lead the industry’s campaigning to raise the profile of play amongst policy makers.

“We’re delighted to appoint all seven of the nominees proposed by our membership. The new officers have over 25 years’ experience within the play industry and are subsequently well placed to promote the benefits of play and the API membership.”

Members of the Executive Committee remaining in position for a further twelve months are Michael Hoenigmann, Vice Chair, Jupiter Play and Leisure; Vicki Braithwaite, Pennine Playgrounds.

API Enquiry 59

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Putting the spotlight on the vibrant play industry

Mumsnet take up the #Nowhere2Play campaign

Mumsnet, the website which campaigns on issues affecting parents, is today launching #Nowhere2Play as one of its Guest Campaigns.

Chair of the Association of Play Industries (API), Mark Hardy, says: “We’re delighted that Mumsnet, an organisation with massive reach and influence, is supporting #Nowhere2Play.

“It’s an issue which touches so many families. Across England, communities are

being affected by the closure of local playgrounds. Without this campaign, they might have thought these closures were isolated when, in fact, play spaces are disappearing on a large scale.

“Our research revealed that between 2014/15 and 2015/16 local authorities across England closed 214 children’s playgrounds, with plans to close a further 234 – that’s 448 places in which children can play that have disappeared in England alone.

“We are in the midst of a childhood obesity epidemic and study after study has shown that the provision of play spaces is essential to keep children active. Lack of physical activity is a root cause of childhood obesity, so the alarming decline in play provision in England is an issue that none of us can afford to ignore any longer.”

Mark goes on to highlight the inequality of children’s access to play spaces. “Many children don’t have gardens in which to play and indeed, it’s the most deprived communities that are hit hardest by these cuts. We also know that it is in precisely these areas that childhood obesity is most prevalent.”

There are implications too for children’s mental wellbeing. ‘One-fifth of children experience mental health difficulties and without access to play children can’t develop the

emotional, social and cognitive skills necessary for healthy development. More evidence emerges all the time about the positive association between physical activity, play and mental health.

“We hope that #Nowhere2Play will push play back up the political agenda. We want a clear and unequivocal show of support from government to reinvest in playgrounds to halt their decline and secure their future for generations to come.

‘We are now asking for parents, families and communities to tell us about their local playground closures, so we can demonstrate the often profound effect these closures can have. If your playground has closed or has been earmarked for closure by your local authority, then please do get in touch with us.”

API Enquiry 61

Touchwood Play helps create £3m bespoke indoor timber play experience

The UK’s leading specialist design and build play company, TouchWood Play, has completed a three-year project to create bespoke play equipment for William’s Den, a brand new, £3 million indoormeets-outdoor play adventure, in North Cave, Yorkshire.

Believed to be the UK’s largestever bespoke indoor timber play experience, owners Christian and Tor Carver, who both grew up on farms, describe William’s Den as a ‘nostalgic nod’ to a bygone era of child’s play where children were free to explore and play in natural surroundings.

William’s Den includes a 475 sqm play barn in which TouchWood’s specialist design team has brought the outside-in, to enable children to play, whatever the British weather has

The bespoke play features include a 25-metre granite installation, complete with a cascading stream and pool, a rainmaker to simulate a rain shower, a unique six metre high Ancient Oak linked to a tree house, which incorporates swings, balancing pole branches, bridges and a three metre slide off a deck down into a sandpit below. To emulate the great outdoors, the barn is filled with natural light from huge windows and plenty of fresh air from huge

In the extensive outdoor play area, kids have plenty of space to jump and roll around freely. They can choose to fly on a 50metre zip wire, get practical in the den making area or get

Touchwood’s Founder Joe Cooper says: “This has been the most incredible, large-scale project we have ever worked on. Our team has had their own three-year creative adventure to help Tor and Christian fulfil their vision.

“We are all extremely proud to have been a part of this groundbreaking, multi-sensory project and are delighted it has been so much enjoyed by the first children to visit.”

Tor Carver, William’s Den cofounder says: “TouchWood’s team of designers and craftsmen have enabled us to realise our dream to create something very special, which will help children learn through active play.

“William’s Den inspires and challenges children with a natural play experience, giving them freedom and space to play inside and out, whatever the weather. It’s the stuff our childhood memories are made from.”

Christian Carver co-founder, says: “William’s Den will be a place where children can run, splash, jump and climb their way to the ‘best day ever’. We want kids to have freedom to play outside, get lots of fresh air, always finishing their day at William’s Den with rosy cheeks and big smiles.”

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musical on pieces of sculpted wood, which TouchWood’s team has carefully carved and tuned to a pentatonic scale.
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Feel ‘the power’ with Connor Sport Court

Connor Sport Court, owned by international flooring and interiors specialist Gerflor is the market leader in sports surfacing and has built systems for many elite associations including the NBA, NCAA, FIBA, USATF and USA Volleyball, together with supplying the recent 2016 Rio Olympic Games with their basketball courts.

Connor Sport Court specialise in both wood and synthetic surfaces and have appropriate solutions for every type of athletic venue, park or multi-use facility.

It provides products that are ideal for a myriad of sport uses in education colleges and universities, schools, sports and leisure centres, together with dance floor studios and fitness venues.

The safest outdoor court in the world PowerGame from Connor Sport Court features the lowest skin abrasion of any outdoor court surface and is made of the highest quality materials and UV stabilisers to protect the specifiers investment and is a perfect fit for a host of performance sports including; badminton, tennis, basketball, netball and hockey.

The patented Double-Tier shock absorbing grid and Lateral Forgiveness reduces joint strain

and fatigue to help participants play longer and more safely than ever. Available in 16 stunning colour choices the performance of PowerGame is also designed to deliver excellent ball bounce, a huge factor in both on-court response and enjoyment. After all, who wants to play a dull game?

A strong partnership with the charity Beyond Sport looks set to enable this commitment to flourish as Beyond Sport are focused on using sport for social change and connecting NGOs and community organisations with groups who can help them make a difference.

In London Connor Sport and Gerflor have worked with Beyond Sport and the Mayor’s Office to identify applicants for a ‘Court Award’. This meant seeking a community group who had a need for an updated space, but also who would require the programming and student engagement necessary to properly use the product.

The award went to the Phoenix Community Housing project which falls under the responsibility of Lewisham Council in inner London.

Enquiry 66

School benefits from Notts Sport’s hockey expertise

Roundhay School is an Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ school located in Roundhay, Leeds, and Notts Sport were approached to project manage the installation of a new full size sand dressed hockey facility, overseeing planning, design, building and maintenance.

The project was developed from 2014 through to 2016 in partnership with Leeds Council, and it has allowed the school to introduce hockey into the curriculum for the first time.

In the first four months since completion of the new pitch, the school has seen over 50 girls playing hockey, a tremendous start illustrating how a synthetic turf facility has the ability to improve participation and engage a wide range of pupils. Rachelle Le-Bourdin, PE teacher at the school was able to tailor the pitch to the school’s needs: “Working with Notts Sport was brilliant right from the beginning: they came up straight away, met with us and asked about our vision and what

we needed from the pitch, so it was always about what we wanted and needed, and not ever about what they were trying to sell.

“From the brilliant initial meeting the relationship grew, and they’ve actually helped with the wider planning of an expansion at the school. They’ve been absolutely brilliant from start to finish: coming and checking that everything’s been installed properly, and helping with our opening ceremony.”

The sand dressed hockey pitch is the first of its kind in the area, meaning that it will benefit the wider community: “We’ve gone from having about 15 at hockey practice to having over 50 at every session – and that’s only the girls.

Replay Rejuvenation process pays dividends

Ecclesall Lawn Tennis Club in Sheffield has enlisted the help of Replay Maintenance to bring some much needed TLC to its 4 artificial grass courts to bring them back to a safe and playable condition.

Replay’s unique Rejuvenation process uses compressed air to remove the contaminated top

layer of infill; restore the pile to vertical and fill again with new clean infill.

Thanks to the club choosing 15mm pile when the courts were installed, the tests conducted by Replay showed that there was still a good amount of life left in the carpet. After the Rejuvenation process

the courts were back to an as-new condition. Replay will now visit 4 times a year to ensure the club has great looking courts for the foreseeable future. It has also extended the lifespan of the club’s original investment much further.

Replay Maintenance Enquiry 65

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Creative Play picks top projects of the past academic year

The last academic year has been extremely busy for Creative Play with the company completing a huge amount of playground development.

Staff have chosen their top 5 projects for the period:

Hinderton School - there were two different areas to be redeveloped, KS1 and KS2. Within the KS1 area we removed the existing Timber Climbing frame and surfacing and replaced them with our Dart Activity Centre and Rubber Mulch Safety Surfacing. Along with this we added our vibrant Land Ranger and Perspex Board to encourage role play and imaginative play.

For the KS2 area we created a challenging Trim Trail circuit, along with Rubber Mulch Safety Surfacing to ensure the whole play space met all BSEN 1176 and 1177 safety standards and allowed for all-weather use. Trim Trail items such as our Crawling Net and Tyre Crossing were incorporated to ensure balance, co-ordination and climbing skills were targeted while still focusing on more traditional physical play aspects.

Christ the King Catholic Primary School - we agreed that an impressive Multi-use Games Area (MUGA) would be ideal to provide physical play, as well as sports and fitness, opportunities that could be utilised during both play and lesson times. Completed

with Artificial Grass Safety Surfacing, court markings and custom engraved goal ends, this new one-stop sports area will become a real asset for the school.

Along with their MUGA, we transformed their adjacent tarmac area with our popular Jungle Climber Midi climbing structure, as well a number of trim trail items and classic hopscotch playground markings, to provide even more outdoor play opportunities for the KS2 pupils to enjoy. Wetpour Safety Surfacing was also included under the equipment operating areas to ensure all BSEN 1176 & BSEN 1177 safety standards were met.

Our Lady & St Edwards Catholic Primary School – the school wanted to incorporate a mixture of play equipment ensuring all areas of learning were covered. To do this we created different sections within the outdoor play space. In one section we added

one of our new Jigsaw Play Towers as this gave the school the opportunity to add specific components to create the perfect tower system to encourage physical play, helping to develop fundamental development skills.

Within a different section of the playground we added our First Mate ship, this was added along with Blue/Black flecked Wetpour safety surfacing to encourage Role Play and social interaction. We also added several Trim Trail products next to the Jigsaw play tower to add additional physical play aspects allowing even more children to play at one time.

Blenheim Primary School (pictured) – updating existing KS1 and KS2 outdoor play areas. For the KS1 area we wanted to create an impressive play structure that could be used by all the children during break times. With a 4-tower design we were able to include lots of exciting play features, such as an arched timber bridge, net climber, climbing wall and 2 slide, to encourage ageappropriate risky play.

We included two structures in the KS2 area to provide a wider variety of play opportunities. Again a bespoke Jigsaw Play Tower was created in collaboration with the school, this time a 1.5m high one-tower design, along with our popular

Jungle Climber Midi. Together these two play structures are ideal for providing physical play in the playground. Grass mats were used in both areas to ensure all BSEN 1176 and 1177 requirements were met as well as to prevent the surrounding grass for being worn away during play.

The Castle School (pictured)looking to develop their KS1 playground, catering for children with a variety of complex learning difficulties, it was essential that we worked closely with the school to include a variety of equipment that all ability levels could enjoy.

Wanting to incorporate a variety of water, musical and creative play opportunities into their KS1 area we included popular sensory items such as our Water Wall, Glockenspiel and Chalk Board. We wanted to include a large number of play items to ensure everyone had a play station to enjoy. A number of playhouses, such as our Cambridge Shelter, DenMaking Teepee and Mound Tunnel, were also added to the design to provide more secluded zones in the playground. The whole development was then finished off with Artificial Grass Safety Surfacing to provide a high quality, tactile all-weather play surface.

New AGP opened at Liverpool college

A Liverpool arts college is enjoying a new state-of-the-art football pitch after it was opened by a former Premier League referee and the Everton Ladies captain.

Chris Foy joined Michelle Hinnigan and her first team coach, Andy Spence, to open St John Bosco Arts College’s new £1m floodlit third generation (3G) artificial grass pitch (AGP) and changing room pavilion.

A £637,245 grant from the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund made it possible to build the 3G AGP and pavilion, which will be used by Everton FC Centre of Excellence and local grassroots clubs, community groups and primary schools. Through this project, the school worked in close partnership with the Football Foundation and Liverpool FA to establish a fiveyear Football Development Plan to increase female participation by over 40%.

ETC Sports Surfaces collaborated with long term sports fencing partner Zaun to put in the 3G AGP surrounded by Duo Sports fencing, which will host a new 11v11 mid-week floodlit league throughout the winter months.

Chris Foy said: “Grassroots sport in Liverpool is better off thanks to the investment in this new pitch and changing room. St John Bosco will serve as an important sports hub in its community, with provisions for people of all ages and abilities to play sport just for the pure enjoyment of it.”

Everton Ladies secured a place in the Women’s Super League in 2017-18 just last Friday, when the FA announced them as the preferred bidder to take the place of Notts County, who went out of business. Captain Michelle Hinnigan, who is also a PE Teacher at St John Bosco, said: “It is really important to have quality facilities at the grassroots level because this not only helps youngsters to maximise their potential, but give whole communities a focal point to come and enjoy playing sport with their mates.”

Safer playgrounds for Hyde Housing

HAGS Installation and Service (formerly RSS) was selected by Hyde Housing as the sole supplier of playground inspection and maintenance services to the Hyde Group.

Hyde are a major social housing provider in the South of England.

The agreement means that HAGS will be carrying out the Quarterly and Annual inspections on around 70 play areas across London and the South East, plus on-site repairs up to an agreed value.

Morley Young, Head of Compliance for the Hyde Group said: “We are really pleased to be working with HAGS who enjoy a reputation as a global partner in outdoor equipment for playgrounds and recreational areas.

“Our partnership will help us to provide safe, attractive and robust play areas for our residents to enjoy and take pride in.”

READER ENQUIRY 72 READER ENQUIRY 73 Product News AUGUST 2017 www.landscapeandamenity.com 18 Playsafety Ltd is licensed by RoSPA to trade as RoSPA Playsafety. • Playing field inspections and risk assessments • Accessibility audits • Impact absorbency testing • Indoor play area inspections • Goal post safety inspections • Water area inspections • Expert witness consultancy and reports Play area inspections and risk assessments Tel: 01793 317470 Web: www.rospa.com/playsafety
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Wicksteed creates polar bear-themed playground for Scottish Wildlife Park!

Wicksteed Playgrounds, known for its bespoke outdoor play schemes, has designed and installed an engaging Arctic play experience at the Highland Wildlife Park.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) commissioned the play area for the park which is situated in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park.

The main focal point of the play area is a giant climbing Rockscape, which features a polar bear standing on a block of ice with tunnels to explore underneath.

A double width slide onto bright blue seascape surfacing also features, alongside wooden planks between 3 floating glaciers, all watched by an inquisitive seal.

This exceptional play area is situated near the Polar Bear Kiosk to enable adults to relax while their children are occupied in a safe environment. This creative scheme also features a single slide into the play area from the kiosk, a balance board and both an interactive polar bear head panel and tactile menu play panel.

Delighted with the play area, Daska Mackintosh, Head of Operations and Visitor Services at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park, said: “This is set to be a really popular attraction at the park this summer and Wicksteed impressed us from the start with their creative interpretation of our ambitious brief, which was far and away the best we had seen.”

Playdale’s MD receives MBE

Playdale’s Managing Director, Barry Leahey has been named on the Queen’s Birthday List 2017 and will receive an MBE for services to UK Trade and Exports.

Barry began working for Playdale in 2004 as Sales and Marketing Director and progressed more recently to Managing Director in 2015.

He has been the driving force behind Playdale’s growth strategy and has successfully formed distribution agreements in 46 countries in less than seven years. Playdale products can now be enjoyed by children right across the globe from Spain to Singapore.

Playdale have won several awards in the last few years, including National SME Exporter of the Year in 2016. Barry said: “Receiving an MBE will be one of my greatest achievements and I could not have done it without the support of my team at Playdale and my family.

“When the UK market began to decline six years ago, I made it my mission to explore opportunities abroad and make Playdale a success globally. We still have a way to go but we have increased our export sales from £0 in 2010 to over £2m in 2017.”

Fifteen years of fun for Proludic

Proludic recently celebrated its 15th birthday having grown to become one of the biggest play and sports manufacturers in the UK.

Proludic Ltd was born as the UK subsidiary to Proludic, a French company based in Vouvray, established in 1988 and known for innovative and ground breaking play equipment products.

Since then there has been no turning back and the company has gone from strength to strength:

• Installing over 2000 play sites and 693 sport sites –improving community spaces

• Moving offices twice (Pump House to Play Hub) – due to continuous growth and development

• Having had over the years 115 employees –demonstrating staff retention is excellent

Proludic has also enjoyed a few firsts too for the UK play industry:

• Launching the first dynamic play and sport equipment range in 2005 which revolutionised the design of play equipment and gave birth to the Skysurf, Rodeoboard and Aeroskate

products (amongst many others)

• Installing the first Playbuilder site in the UK in Higher Holway and the largest destination park worth over £500,000 in Withy Grove

• The first company in the UK to use a hydraulic piston in their outdoor gym offer which allows users variable resistance on their work outs

Rob Baker, Managing Director of Proludic Ltd comments: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our employees (past and present), clients, partners and the

French head office for making the journey over this time so enjoyable and successful. “It’s fair to say the staff have had just as much fun working for Proludic as the children who play on our equipment. We are all big kids at heart.”

The company celebrated the milestone with a Robin Hood themed event at Rufford Country Park in Nottinghamshire.

Proludic Enquiry 76

Dura-Sport delighted to achieve ISO 9001 certification

Synthetic surfacing specialist Dura-Sport has been awarded ISO 9001:2015 certification - the International standard for Quality Management Systems.

Dura-Sport have always been renowned for providing first class synthetic grass installations

and exceptional customer service. Their commitment to the ISO standard further demonstrates their focus on continuous improvement and quality assurance.

Company Director Chris Stevenson said: “In an

increasingly competitive market place, we’re utilising ISO 9001 guidance and tools to continually improve our systems so we can consistently provide our customers with the high quality products and services that they expect from Dura-Sport.

“Improving our operational efficiency will increase employee job satisfaction too, which is also very important to us.”

Enquiry 77

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Wicksteed Enquiry 75

eibe in Oxford’s treat

The new destination play park at Abbey Meadows in Oxfordshire has been officially opened, forming part of a major £615,000 regeneration programme to attract more visitors throughout the course of the year.

It is designed around the Grand Abbey, which, in turn, is based on the famous Abingdon Abbey, originally built in the seventh century.

The bespoke playground features plenty of space for children to exercise and socialise, including climbing towers, wobbly bridges and climbing nets.

Next to the Grand Abbey Climbing Unit, and mirroring the scene of the neighbouring River Thames, is the ‘Abingdon Lock’ river scene, a sensory area and play garden, as well as an area for ball games, featuring lots of traditional play equipment and a thrilling zip wire.

The sensory area and play garden is a great place for toddlers to explore, while the new pathway ensures the whole site is fully accessible for those with disabilities. There is plenty of inclusive equipment such as a broad slide, trampoline and roundabout.

It’s not all brand new gear at Abbey Meadows though; it was decided to retain some of the original items and refurbish them. Equipment such as the much loved rocking horse, the favourite slide and some benches have survived and seamlessly integrated into the brand new areas.

eibe Enquiry 80

Bespoke play for Bellfield School

School creates a sensory and physical development area

Woodley School and College in Huddersfield will be working with the UK’s only employeeowned playground equipment company to build a new Sensory and Physical Development Area.

PlayQuest was asked by Great Outfloors (an artificial grass supplier and installer) to partner with them in designing, supplying and installing a bespoke trim trail and Toddler Town unit, all manufactured from Recycled Plastic.

After consultation with the school, the equipment was confirmed and installation carried out during the course of a week.

PlayQuest removed and disposed of the old timber equipment, and installed its new recycled plastic play equipment, along with our

Blue PlayBond surfacing around some of the equipment.

Great Outfloors then installed artificial grass around the rest if the equipment and designated play area - and the overall finish looks fantastic and will provide the pupils of Bellfield School with an outstanding, very longlasting play area for years to come. PlayQuest have been manufacturing play equipment for over 17 years and offer a 25year warranty on their recycled plastic products.

PlayQuest Enquiry 81

Work has started on the project following a competitive tender and consultation process with children from the school helping to build their playground.

Teachers and pupils at the school have been very hands on during the design and consultation process. Pontefract based Sutcliffe Play invited teachers and pupils to get a behind the scenes look at Sutcliffe Play, including a tour of the factory to see how equipment is made and the chance to put equipment to the test on the playground outside the company’s office.

Woodley School and College has recently become a facility that caters purely for autistic children and is working with Sutcliffe Play to design not just an inclusive space but a space that specifically met the needs of the school and its users.

The space will feature five key inclusive areas:

1) Music Zone 2) Active Zone 3) Climbing Zone 4) Quiet Zone 5) Daydream Den

Kevin Sellwood at Sutcliffe Play says: “We take consultation seriously here at Sutcliffe Play and what better way than to find out the thoughts of those that will be using it.

“By inviting the School Council to visit Sutcliffe Play it allowed our designers to see how they played on the various items of equipment and importantly it highlighted what would be suitable. It also gave the children the opportunity to see how play equipment is made and how much development goes in to manufacturing it.”

Anne Lawton at Woodley School and College adds: “You can’t underestimate the importance of play to a child’s physical and emotional development.

Woodley School is a local authority special school for 125 children aged 4-19 who all have complex needs. The introduction of the new Sensory and Physical Development Area will play a major role in supporting children with autism to extend their learning in a fun environment.”

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