Play & Activity August 2018

API supports Mental Health in Childhood report

The Association of Play Industries attended the launch of the ‘Mental Health in Childhood’ report at the APPG on a Fit & Healthy Childhood at Westminster.

The All-Party Group was formed to find ways to improve children’s health and wellbeing and is calling for a positive approach to the Government’s Child Mental Health proposals.

Publishing this its 10th report. Mental Health in Childhood, the APPG is championing early intervention rather than relying upon expensive later-stage crisis services.

API Chair Mark Hardy, says: “As the UK association which champions the importance of play in children’s healthy development, we very much welcome the Group’s call for a Secretary of State for Children.

“As a nation we face an unprecedented increase in children and young people

suffering from mental health problems, from anxiety to depression, and these issues are very often precursors for mental health difficulties in adult life.

“Our own research has uncovered an alarming decline in playgrounds and spaces in which children can play freely. As more

and more children retreat indoors, alone and engaging primarily with their tablets and phones, their mental health is suffering.

“In this APPG report we present the case for halting this decline and providing the facilities children need in order to play before it is too late. Play is

Coalition pressures Government on parks and play areas

A coalition of national organisations has come together to call on political leaders to save the UK’s parks.

The Charter for Parks, calls on Prime Minister Theresa May and First Ministers Nicola Sturgeon, Carwyn Jones and Arlene Foster, to reverse the decline of local parks across their nations.

The Charter calls on the UK’s four political leaders to:

• Endorse a legal duty for all public green space to be managed to a good standard.

• Ensure adequate longterm resources for ongoing maintenance, management and improvements.

• Recognise the right of every citizen to have access within walking distance to a good quality public green space.

• Celebrate the central role well-run parks play

in our neighbourhoods for all sections of our communities.

• Embed effective protection from inappropriate development or use, or loss of any part of our parks.

• Encourage and enable community involvement and empowerment of local people and park users.

The coalition of organisations behind this charter include ourselves, along with Greenspace Scotland, Fields in Trust, Friends of the Earth, Llais y Goedwig (the voice of community woodlands in Wales), The National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces, The Parks Alliance, The Parks Agency, The Gardens Trust, Unison, and 38 Degrees.

Allison Ogden-Newton, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy said: “As the operators of the

national standard for parks and green spaces – the Green Flag Award – we know how important the provision of these quality spaces is to local communities, and we welcome this charter.”

Rishi Sunak, the minister for Parks and Green Spaces said: “I am fully committed to working together with the many organisations, voluntary bodies and local communities who dedicate their own time to support the sustainability of our much valued parks and green spaces.

“While there are many challenges ahead, I am excited by the work the Parks Action Group is undertaking to identify positive solutions, so we can continue to provide safe and inclusive green spaces for our diverse communities to enjoy.”

Britain Tidy

integral to the happiness and wellbeing of young people – it is not a luxury we can afford to cut back on.

“A Minister for Children would be a clear signal that the Government is prioritising the welfare of children in this country. To be a child is to

play and harsh restrictions on their opportunities to do so are damaging. We will continue to champion play as a vital component of children’s healthy mental, emotional and physical development.”

API

FSPA lobbies on Brexit

The FSPA’s close links with UK government, particularly the Department for International Trade (DIT), mean that they are uniquely placed to lobby on behalf of the sports and play industry as a whole.

As one of Europe’s largest trade bodies, they work closely with their trade association counterparts overseas, particularly FESI – the Federation of the European Sporting Goods

Brexit represents a time of enormous change and uncertainty, with issues around the movement of workers, trade tariffs and standards and regulations having the potential to impact UK businesses.

The FSPA is consulting with its members, feeding back concerns to the relevant UK government departments and negotiating on its behalf.

Keep

Focus on the vibrant play industry

Tremendous 10 years for Taraflex at Grammar School

Ten years ago, when The States of Guernsey in the Channel Islands wanted to source 500m2 of sports flooring for The Guernsey Grammar School and Sixth Form Centre that would be future proof. they turned to international flooring specialist Gerflor to provide the solution with their world-class, uber performing Taraflex Evolution sports flooring for their main sports hall.

Chris Dyer, Building Maintenance Manager, Education Services, States of Guernsey, said that at the time, the previous flooring was approximately twenty-three years old and not fit for purpose in relation to health and safety.

“After research in to multi-use flooring and receiving samples from various companies I ascertained that Gerflor was the most practical for our needs,” je explained.

“We were absolutely delighted, as the installation back in 2007 went very smoothly and created a fantastic transformation. This was the first time we had used Gerflor products.

“Subsequently we have used Gerflor products on numerous projects as the quality of the

materials they use is of the highest standard.”

Taraflex has an excellent construction and wear layer, not surprising given the fact that Gerflor have more than 70 years of experience with sports flooring.

It offers a wide range of colours and is suitable for a variety of applications. Taraflex sports floors have been made since 1947 and used by the largest international sports federations (volleyball, handball, badminton, table tennis) for decades. Through partnerships with these federations, Gerflor has been present at the Summer Olympic Games since 1976.

Taraflex is available in 17 colours and three wood-effect designs. The all-new Evolution product is now safer, higher performing and offers even more protection than before. The greater protection has been obtained due to a total

re-engineering of the CXP-HD foam technology in the Taraflex Evolution.

It offers a P1 category shock absorbency 25% to 35% and a new 7.5mm thickness. The latest double density CXP-HD foam technology means improved comfort and protection for users, and the new D-Max surface reenforcement with its fibre glass grid now delivers 20% increased comfort and better durability.

Taraflex also offers greater than 45% force reduction, making it unrivalled in the marketplace in terms of offering comfort for users. Taraflex meets the EN Standard of 22196 for anti- bacterial activity (E. coli - S. aureus - MRSA) (3) returning >99% levels of growth inhibition.

The product is also treated with Protecsol, which renders polish redundant and is triple action meaning no polish is ever required, it contributes to easy maintenance and is anti-friction burn and slide/grip. Taraflex has a double density foam backing and with another bonus, it’s environmentally friendly.

Taraflex Evolution from Gerflor also meets the EN 13501-1 fire classification. It is also ideal for renovation works and is available with the Dry-Tex System perfect for new construction or refurbishment projects with damp sub-floors.

Gerflor

RTC enjoys a busy and productive summer

The start of the year has proved successful for RTC Safety Surfaces, with the last three months proving extremely busy with highprofile and unusual projects.

For example, the company was not only faced with the challenge of creating an interior surface, but the project was for well-known fashion brand Stella McCartney.

With a new store set to open on Old Bond Street, London we installed grey wet pour within the children’s department. The access to the area presented a challenge as it meant setting up at the top of a flight of stairs and installing the surfacing down thirteen steps. However,

after technical representatives carried out a site visit, a plan was put in place to ensure minimum disruption.

A second indoor project was completed for Beacon Climbing Centre in Wales. The black and Fireblend design was inspired by the popular game ‘The Floor is Lava.’

RTC also completed an installation of resin bound rubber mulch at Rugby Radio Station. Working over six days the team installed over 860m² of safety surfacing, including over slopes and mounds to create a play area that can be used safely in all weathers.

Another resin bound rubber mulch install was a Daily Mile style track at Ford Motor Company in Northampton. The track was to be installed directly onto grass between two buildings. Mulch was certainly proving popular, as we carried out a project for Kompan that included mulch, wet pour and Enviro-Pave. Working at Normanby Hall Country Park in Scunthorpe the design involved pathways, leaves and animals.

Alongside this, RTC also carried out a very special project at Great Ormond Street Hospital. In the past few months it has installed over 200m² of wet pour surfacing to create the hospital’s first outdoor space for children. The surfacing was designed by Disney, with waving lines and a Micky Mouse compass to fit with the play areas ‘reef’ theme.

Also in London, RTC installed in playground surfacing in the Royal Borough of Kensington, to replace the surfacing that had been contaminated during the Grenfell fire.

RTC Safety Syrfaces

Monster Buddy takes a

New from Leafield Environmental are the friendly Monster Buddies… cheerful waste collection bins that eat enormous amounts of waste and simply refuse to be overlooked.

Produced in pastel blue or purple, highly durable, easy to clean polyethylene Monster Buddies have a huge capacity of 100 litres when used with the optional plastic liner or 120 litres when used with a plastic sack. They are equally suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

Monster Buddies are a great way of encouraging children to dispose of their litter in the proper manner. The bright colours and novel, fun design will capture children’s

imaginations and their perpetual smile will brighten any day.

Leafield Environmental

Timberplay champion concrete as an alternative material for play

Famed for wooden play products, Timberplay also offer a range of concrete play pieces, all designed to capitalise on the strength and tactile nature of the material.

The Stroking Stones have been a popular mainstay of the Timberplay collection for many years, and these have been joined by several other products, most recently the Concrete Rope Course. These products have been collected together within one mini brochure, which is available as a pdf on request.

The Concrete Rope Course is sure to be a popular addition to the Timberplay range. It is the ideal product for busy play

areas it can accommodate many children at any one time. The design presents many different challenges, so will appeal most to older children.

Concrete is a supremely flexible substance. It can be produced in infinite shapes and colours, can also be ground, waxed, polished, painted or glazed. This means concrete delivers many different tactile experiences and the patina also changes and develops over time. It is, therefore, an excellent material for play and dovetails well within the existing Timberplay range.

Timberplay are the UK partner of German play specialists

have reservations about specifying wood, so concrete products are likely to be of great interest.

Timberplay

Hove haven gets upgraded 3G football pitch

A haven for dog walkers, runners, playing kids and sports players in Hove has had its football pitch upgraded.

Brighton & Hove City Council appointed Essex-based ETC Sports Surfaces to the 70x31m pitch reconstruction at Hove Park, East Sussex.

The project consisted of the resurfacing of an existing Artificial Grass Pitch (AGP) with a modern 3G artificial grass surface, fencing, pitch divider, sports equipment & associated works.

AGPs are commonly Astroturf, but ETC combine this surface with their 3G surface to make a more durable pitch that is all-weather.

ETC worked alongside Desso Sports UK, who supplied the iQ3 50 artificial grass, while Zaun Ltd manufactured and provided 225m of its Duo8 Super Rebound sports fencing system plus two pairs of double gates and one single leaf pedestrian gate.

Duo8 Super Rebound forms a robust play area that is highly durable, low maintenance and ‘graffiti-proof’, with great rebound properties similar to a wall and rubber inserts between panels and posts to keep ‘rattle’ during play to a minimum.

Hove Park is popular with local residents, dog walkers and runners. The park covers almost 40 acres and features a mix of large areas of open grass, mature trees, flower beds and recreational facilities.

At the eastern edge of the Park is the ‘Fingermaze’, a piece of public sculpture carved into the park and lined with stone and lime mortar.

The Fingermaze is a giant fingerprint which incorporates a Cretan labyrinth within its whirling design.

The 3G football surface is growing in popularity among clubs and schools as one of the best synthetic pitches.

3G pitches are split into two broad varieties: the dynamic base, which is a hardwearing, cost-effective choice of synthetic grass surface; or the non-abrasive engineered base, considered the optimum 3G pitch with the ideal look, feel and endurance,

providing the right shock and slide performance. A major advantage of modern allweather artificial pitches is their adaptability.

ETC Sports Surface

New lease of life for sports surface thanks to Replay

The Pasture (Fairways) Sports Complex boasts an astroturf surface which is a hub for sport in the community of Sherburnin-Elmet, North Yorkshire.

A true multi-functional pitch, it see’s many hours of play per week taking its toll on the condition of the surface.

Synthetic specialists Replay Maintenance were recently called in to conduct their Rejuvenation process, which has given the pitch a new lease of life.

Owned by Selby District Council, the day to day running of the site is controlled by Parish Council Clerk of 34 years Margaret Gibson. “The Pastures is a great asset and hosts a variety of sports including hockey, football and tennis.

“The upkeep of the pitch, together with the surrounding park, falls to a contractor but this is really just on an ad-hoc basis and following months of poor weather, and high play usage the pitch was in need of a more thorough deep clean.”

The services of Replay were recommended by a local England Hockey representative, to which Replay are the sole official maintenance partner. “Replay came in to conduct their Rejuvenation process at the end of April and the end result was fantastic. It refurbished the pitch to a point where it looked

like a new surface which was welcomed by all of the clubs and players who use the site.”

Replay’s unique Rejuvenation process uses constant airflow plenum technology and compressed air to remove the contaminated top layer of sand; restore the pile to vertical and fill again with new clean infill. It can restore a surface to an ‘as new’ condition for appearance, drainage and performance and often double the playing life of a pitch for a fraction of the cost of a replacement carpet.

Following the successful Rejuvenation, the Parish Council made the decision to appoint Replay on a service agreement basis which will now see them visit twice a year to conduct a deep-clean.

Sales Director of Replay Maintenance Nick Harris reiterates the importance of planned maintenance. “Choosing regular, arranged maintenance gives you peace of mind that your surface is getting the treatment required, at a fixed amount and at intervals that suit the needs of each individual facility.

“With Replay we also conduct pre and post maintenance testing to show the difference the maintenance regime is making, enabling you to plan future requirements far more effectively.”

Richter Spielgeräte who have a reputation as one of the World’s best playground companies. Working alongside Richter, Timberplay have also begun delivering projects in challenging territories, for example the Middle East, Qatar and Egypt.

With extreme temperatures to contend with, many developers and Landscape Architects

Replay Maintenance

Proludic celebrates local business award

The Proludic Team had a fantastic time at the 2018 Nottingham Post Business Awards last night and were proud to be recognised as a finalist from 28 category entries.

Rob Baker, Managing Director, was presented with the award for being one of three nominated as a finalist in the Contribution to the Community category.

He commented on this achievement by saying: “It is great to be recognised for all the work that we do locally. I would

like to take this opportunity to thank our staff who continually strive to make the difference in the community that they both work and live in.”

The Nottingham Post Business Awards brings together the best and brightest of Nottinghamshire’s business community, to celebrate the contribution they make to the local economy. Held this year at the East Midlands Conference Centre, the glittering ceremony celebrated the hard work these companies put in to make them a success.

HP Sportsline provides an expert finish

Junckers HP SportsLine is a water-based two-pack paint for marking of court lines and colouring of other areas on wooden floors in gymnasiums and sports halls.

Junckers HP SportsLine is recommended on Junckers HP SPORT coated and Junckers prefinished lacquered floors. The range can be mixed to obtain other colours.

Junckers manufactures high quality solid wood flooring for all types of sport courts and gyms, including basketball courts, handball courts, volleyball courts, futsal pitches, racquet courts, squash courts and multipurpose arenas.

With experience gained from manufacturing solid hardwood floors since the 1930’s, Junckers has the technical expertise to design and supply the optimal performing high quality solid hardwood flooring. Flooring solutions suit all indoor sport and activity areas, including, gyms, fitness flooring, athletic facilities, and multipurpose rooms.

Junckers sports floors perform with unique area-elastic characteristics and this gives athletes the ultimate freedom of movement, protects against injury and ensures that they can achieve their best.

Junckers

Close to 150 nominations were received for the awards this year, making it one of the most popular events so far. These were then whittled down to 40 finalists

14 different categories to represent the very best the region has to offer.

Monster Double Matrix multi-play towers above new play provision

Wicksteed Playgrounds has recently completed a brilliant refurbishment to supplement the existing outdoor play facility at Cowan Park in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire. With a zone already in place mainly geared towards the under-fives, it was decided that a new area should be created with an emphasis on catering for older aged children.

Artificial cricket nets installed at Durham University

Working on behalf of a main contractor, Dura-Sport have installed a new twin bay cricket practice facility at Durham University’s Collingwood Campus.

The 240m² facility features Dura-Sport’s ECB Approved DSi-pro cricket system, surfaced with DSi-weave superior wilton woven cricket carpet.

Dura-Sport have been installing, resurfacing and refurbishing artificial cricket pitches, often referred to as ‘non-turf’ pitches and practice facilities for a wide range of clients throughout the UK and Europe for over 20 years.

Its in-house management and installation teams have extensive knowledge and experience of delivering cricket projects of the highest quality.

Dura-Sport take pride in its ability to offer clients a bespoke service and tailored advice, managing every aspect in-house from concept to completion.

In addition to providing the best possible service it also offers the highest quality materials and the best value for money on the market

After carrying out extensive consultation with various user groups and the local community, Wicksteed was commissioned by the council to carry out the design, supply and installation.

This £200k refurbishment project, initially required a big, steel centrepiece at its heart, but no particular theme had been agreed upon. In close collaboration with the customer and Wicksteed’s designers a

space theme emerged and the scheme they created included a fantastic, bespoke double Matrix multi-play climbing unit system, complete with twin towers.

This dynamic new provision, full of inclusive, diverse and exciting play equipment is all installed on space-themed colourful graphic surfacing.

It also includes a sensory area with Musical Instruments, a range of swings and a Ground Trampoline among other products.

Feedback from the local community has been extremely positive and everyone is delighted to be able to now enjoy a thrilling new play park.

Wicksteed

Dura Sport

Daredevil Grandmother opens new nursery play area

A daredevil grandmother was the guest of honour at the official opening of a nursery’s outdoor play area after she took on the fastest zip wire in the world to raise money for it.

Courageous Carys Thomas, 77, raised £1,500 by completing the daunting Zip World challenge in Snowdonia to help Cylch Meithrin in Deiniolen, Gwynedd, fund its brand new 12,000 playground, which was designed and manufactured by outdoor play experts Creative Play.

The nursery had a bare concrete yard for several years but after securing community grants and public donations, including Carys’ sponsorship money, they have finally been able to transform the unused space into a much-needed safe and educational play facility.

Chester-based Creative Play installed wetpour safety fl ooring, a slide, wigwam and climbing frame to transform the concrete space.

The nursery, which caters for children aged two and a half to four years old, has also separately purchased metal fencing, a shed

and sandpit to complete their new outdoor space.

Carys, who has lived in the village since 1963 and whose four grandchildren all attended the nursery when they were younger, hailed the new play area as “fantastic”. She added: “It makes it all worthwhile when you see the smiles on the kids’ faces. They were really enjoying themselves, playing and running around. The play area is fantastic. A lot of very good work has gone into. It’s just what the nursery needed.”

Carys’ daredevil exploits came about after she won the opportunity to take on the longest zip wire challenge in Europe at Penrhyn Quarry, Bethesda, in a raffle at her local bingo.

The building of the new play area was carried out by a team from Creative Play and their projects are designed to suit the client’s specifications, depending on their budget and location.

All of Creative Play’s equipment is designed and manufactured in Chester by the company’s in house teams, who use state of the art equipment and each specialise in timber, plastic or metal.

For Creative Play project manager Maldwyn Lewis it has been a particularly satisfying job to work on given he has lived in the village for 25 years, and he was full of praise for Carys and everyone who helped make the project a reality. He said: “It’s the type of community where everyone knows each other. I know Carys and her sons and the way she used the zip wire prize to her advantage to raise money for the play area is amazing.

“I can’t say I’ve ever come across someone raising money that way for a project like this. But it’s a close community here and it was a nice project for me to handle being local. The nursery is really pleased with the end result and that’s what matters most.

“The project has gone really well. They had nothing before and now it’s transformed.”

Creative Play

Wicksteed Playgrounds go the extra 100 miles for charity

An intrepid (and fit) team from Wicksteed Playgrounds has just completed a 100-mile charity bike ride as part of the company’s Centenary celebrations this year. The 6-strong team of cyclists took on the challenge to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Around £1,500 has been raised so far via the funding page: https://www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/wicksteed100years to help make a child’s wishes come true.

For a century Wicksteed has brought fun and thrills to generations of children across Britain and beyond. This year marks the company’s incredible milestone of 100 years of designing, manufacturing and installing outdoor play areas that, today, lead the way in terms of innovation and creativity – something its founder, Charles Wicksteed set out to do back in 1918.

Wicksteed is holding several events throughout the year and the

cycle challenge was one of them. The Make-A-Wish Foundation was set up to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Granting their wish gives them hope for the future, strength to cope and resilience to help fight their condition. They’re given quality time away from the daily realities of living with their condition and the chance to make magical memories they can treasure forever – whatever the future may hold.

Upgrades to skate park thanks to eibe

eibe was delighted to be invited back by Midhurst Town Council to upgrade and enhance its much-loved skating arena in the summer of 2018.

Working with Julian Quail, Assistant Clerk and Heather Ongley, Clerk, eibe refurbished the Steve McGill Skate Park that it originally installed almost 20 years ago in the year 2000.

At a cost of £7,000, replacement Skate Skins were fitted to the Quarter Pipe, Start Platform, Fun Box and Ollie box.

Eibe hopes the ramps will last at least another 15 years and that the local children continue to have as much fun as they have done for the last two decades. eibe

Creative Play’s own teams install the equipment and surfacing for their playgrounds to meet the requirements of the client and their own rigorous quality standards.

Wicksteed