Play & Activity February 2018

Around £100 million of National Lottery funding will be invested in the pilot scheme over four years, to create innovative partnerships that make it easier for people in these communities to access sport and physical activity.

By focusing intensely in 12 areas, Sport England wants to identify better ways to address these stubborn inequalities and break down the barriers that stop people getting active, such as poor transport, safety, cost and confidence.

And it wants to encourage wider, collaborative partnerships which look at how all parts of a community can better work together to help the most inactive.

From the transport links and street lighting to the quality of parks and open spaces, to how sport and activity is promoted by GPs. Partnerships will encompass organisations beyond the sport sector such

as voluntary groups, social enterprises, faith organisations and parenting groups.

Jennie Price, Sport England Chief Executive, said: “On our assessment visits to choose the pilot places I was vividly reminded that the barriers to getting active might have little to do with the activity itself, yet this is where we often start.

“I talked to one older lady who was very keen to start swimming again, but to do so she needed someone to sit with her husband who had dementia, a bus that stopped on the right side of a busy junction for the leisure centre, and a session with people like her in the pool rather than lots of children for example.

“Working with all of the partners in a local area means for the first time we can think about that broader range of issues and work right across the local system to address them.”

Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Chair of the LGA’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board, said: “These pilots offer a fresh approach to how Sport

England can work with local authorities and their partners on the ground to reach out to the quarter of the population who struggle to be active.

“There is huge ambition within local government to break down the barriers for those in their communities who cannot take part in sport or physical exercise.”

Sport England Enquiry 50

Significant World Cup turf investment to provide widespread benefits

International Hockey Federation (FIH) Official Global Supplier Polytan will shortly begin installation of two new stateof-the-art pitches at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre ahead of the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018.

The installation of their Poligras Platinum World Cup product at the venue, located within Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will begin at the start of March

and the second pitch will be completed in May 2018.

The £600,000 investment will provide widespread benefits to the hockey community. It will not only give England and Great Britain’s national and development squads, university, school and hockey clubs world-class turfs to play on, it will also provide a number of environmental benefits. The investment further reinforces the benefits of the UK hosting major events and in the long term will bring more elite competition to the UK – for example the Hockey Pro League from 2019 onwards.

Polytan has spent considerable time and investment on

developing a new turf product specifically for next year’s Hockey World Cups being staged in England and India. It is an evolution of the turf used at the Rio 2016 Olympics Games which proved extremely popular with athletes and spectators. The new turf however uses denser fibres to create a faster playing surface.

Polytan’s significant investment through its FIH Global Supplier status has been further supported by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018 additional funding partners - England Hockey, UK Sport and the Greater London Authority. FIH hockey

The 12 pilot areas are Birmingham and Solihull, Bradford, Calderdale, Doncaster, Essex, Great Exeter, Greater Manchester, Hackney, Pennine Lancashire, Redcar & Cleveland and Middlesbrough, Southall, and Withernsea.

Mark Hardy, Chair of the Association of Play Industries, said: “We’re living in a society that’s becoming increasingly divided, and with obesity rising and divisions evident, particularly in deprived

areas, we see time after time how a well designed and implemented play and fitness area brings the local community together.

“Getting involved in the early consultation process through to implementation brings diverse members of these communities together, and once built it is truly heart-warming to see the community come together socially around the children playing and being active together.”

Playforce launches free Sports & PE guides for schools

For almost 20 years Playforce has campaigned to fight childhood obesity and to integrate active play, PE and sports across the school day and age ranges.

Playforce has started releasing a weekly advice guide on Sports & PE, drawing on their longstanding experience of working with schools across the UK and organisations such as Sport England, Youth Sport Trust and Sports for Schools.

Director of Marketing, Emily Northin, said: “With ever-

increasing pressures on funding and resources, as well as existing equipment, we understand that delivering an increased programme of physical activities can be challenging.

“That’s why we’ve produced this step-by-step guide to the Primary PE & Sports Premium, for those schools that want to integrate PE and Sports, as well as healthy living, into daily activity.”

Playforce Enquiry 52

Enquiry 51

READER ENQUIRY 53 Landscape & Amenity

February 2018

Spotlight on the vibrant play industry

A glorious centenary

Why the right surface matters.

Page 20

Sport England has identified 12 places it will work with on a bold new approach to build healthier, more active communities across England.

Weedingtech is aligned to our future generations

Weedingtech is providing forward thinking, ecoinnovations for controlling unwanted vegetation in urban and rural settings from Baja California to Bracknell UK.

Committed to supplying customers with economically viable alternatives to chemical control techniques Weedingtech is focused on safeguarding the

environment now and for our future generations.

The leading eco-solution, Foamstream, is low pressure and non-corrosive allowing end users to control unwanted vegetation without damaging valuable surfaces. Safe for the public, operators, animals and the environment, Foamstream is the ideal solution for hard, soft and

artificial surfaces in playgrounds, sports fields and walk ways.

Weedingtech Enquiry 54

TigerTurf top of the class at international school

Getting maximum use from a sports facility is a common consideration for many within the education sector.

So, with regular bad weather rendering its existing pitch out of action for much of the winter, the International School of Prague (ISP) recently looked to a solution that would provide adequate playing time all year round.

Due to soil type and weather conditions, the school’s natural grass facility had to be closed from November until March each year. During that time the pitch was unusable, forcing staff to take lessons or extracurricular activities elsewhere for a significant portion of the academic calendar.

Recognising the problem, ISP began to work on a solution that would not only extend its own use of the space, but enable it to open out the facility to others in the local area. The school appointed specialist contractors, A Sport Produkt, to lend their expertise to the project.

With ISP needing a high quality football product that would also serve for a multitude of other sports, the group specified

TigerTurf’s Premier Pro 60. Built to conform to the FIFA Quality Pro mark, the impressive design of the artificial grass surface meant the school could benefit from the exceptional performance needed, as well as up to 38 hours playing time each week.

As the first full-size installation of one of TigerTurf’s 3G surfaces in the Czech Republic, the project was an instant success. Immediately, the school was able to get more from the space, with the facility now open every day during the academic year. Better still, ISP soon began to receive offers from local sports clubs and community groups who were interested in using the surface.

As interest in further rentals continues to grow, this has opened up a new revenue stream for the school – enabling a quick return on its investment.

Joe Monks, the school’s Activities Director, commented: “Our old field could only be used during the school day between September and November, before it was then closed until March. It was clear we needed a new, multi-use games area to accommodate the school’s growing sport offering for a longer period of the academic year.

“This versatility was key when it came to designing the new pitch.

Instead of two football pitches, we went for a combination of colours and lines to maximise the possibilities for use.

“The new sports field is now open every day of the school year, even in the winter and after bad weather. On top of that, the facility has attracted numerous sports clubs that we now rent it out to. At the moment, the additional revenue we make from the pitch stands at around £5,000 a year, which helps to offset ongoing maintenance costs and ensure we can keep the facility in perfect shape.”

TigerTurf Enquiry 56

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.

They provide products that are ideal for a myriad of sport uses in education colleges and universities, schools, sports and leisure centres, the military, sporting arena’s, 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 22 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?

Just before the tennis championships played at The All England Club, Wimbledon in 2016 the mother of global tennis star Andy Murray decided that she wanted to actively do something about tennis at the grass roots level in Scotland‘Tennis on the Road’ was ‘born’. This programme enabled Judy Murray to bring tennis to a whole new generation of kids. The programme would need the very best playing surface for the coaches and children to play on. Their choice was PowerGame™ from Sport Court®.

In a testament to improving kids’ lives Connor and Gerflor as

companies are constantly looking for opportunities to create a better world. In the sports division, it manifests itself in creating safer places for children to unlock their potential and become champions of life. 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.

The Beyond Sport Foundation is a unique registered charity and together with their expert partners they support inspirational people and projects that are using sport to make a resounding and powerful impact in some of the most disadvantaged and excluded populations from around the world which includes working to build safe play places in communities. In London Connor Sport and Gerflor have worked with Beyond Sport and the Mayor’s Office to identify applicants for a ‘Court Award’.

The project is an outdoor community court that will be designed and built by the students on an existing concrete or asphalt court that is in desperate need of an upgrade. The court will be constructed out of Sport Court PowerGame™ tiles.

Gerflor

Centenary celebrations in full swing for Wicksteed Playgrounds in 2018

In 1876 Charles Wicksteed (1847-1931) founded an engineering company in Kettering, Charles Wicksteed and Company, which prospered such that Wicksteed became a wealthy businessman.

In 1913 he bought a parcel of agricultural land south-east of Kettering and formed the Wicksteed Village Trust.

His intention was to provide a model village for the working classes at below-average rents, offering generous gardens and a large open public space for recreation and play.

Charles realised the importance of play in children’s lives and by 1918, his firm was making vast quantities of playground equipment not just for his park, but also to sell commercially, manufacturing and installing play equipment to public parks and schools across the UK and around the world.

Over decades they made a dazzling array of equipment, from pioneering metal slides, the plank swing or ‘jazz’ (an ingenious cross between a swing and a see-saw), to the Ocean Wave (a ring-shaped platform on which a group of children sat or stood to revolve around a central pole) And of course, let’s not forget the beloved Wicksteed Rocking Horse on which, from the 1930s onwards, children were able to ride.

When we think of today’s most innovative companies, we often list those that are less than a decade old and have recently gone public.

More impressive, however, are the companies that have been around for not just 10 years, but 10-plus decades and were established before the internet, let alone television, air travel, the Great Depression and the end of the first World War.These companies haven’t just scraped by, they’ve reinvented themselves multiple times and remained at the forefront of branding and marketing and have evolved and adapted to stay current.

Reaching this landmark is an exciting time for Wicksteed, to reflect on its incredible heritage but also to look forward to what will continue to be offered in the world of outdoor play, sport and fitness for the next century.

As part of its centenary celebrations the company’s logo has been re-designed and a number of significant events will be held over the year including the re-creation of an old Wicksteed favourite.

Wicksteed Playgrounds Enquiry 58

New playground extension scores highly with young footballers

Young footballers scored a new playground extension highly after members of the community had their say on its development.

The impressive £28,000 facility at Jubilee Park in Whitchurch, was designed and manufactured by outdoor play experts, Creative Play, as part of a significant investment from Whitchurch Town Council.

The family fi rm were set the mission of turning a “blank canvas” into a dream destination designed to challenge youngsters’ physical, motor and social skills.

Spread over a large area, the extension features a pirate ship, climbing unit and basket swing.

On Saturday, it was given the seal of approval by team members of Whitchurch Alport Junior Football Club during its official opening which was also attended by the Mayor of Whitchurch, Councillor Tony Neville, and Councillor Terry O’Neill, chair of the Parks Committee.

Creative Play’s sales director, David Esser, explained how the project came about. He said: “The town clerk for the council approached us asking us to provide three design options for a play area extension. We submitted some options and they were displayed in the Civic Hall along with designs from two other companies as part of a week-long public consultation.

Members of the community were asked to come and see the designs and put a sticker on whichever one they thought was best, and one of ours was the most popular choice.

“The council made the final decision in late September and asked if the work could be turned around quickly in time for the October half term and we managed to do that for them.”

David, who has worked for the Chester-based company for more than seven years, added: “The playground extension includes a basket swing which is great for promoting inclusivity as it is suitable for children with limited

mobility. There’s also a climbing unit which is very different from the equipment that is already there in the existing playground.

“Because the area is near the old canal site, people were really keen that some sort of boat was involved so we’ve built a pirate ship with a slide, climbing nets and tunnels. I visited the playground a short while later and it was nice to see the area swarming with children. It’s a fantastic play area which, because it’s made from natural timber materials, is in-keeping with the lovely setting.”

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.

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

Creative Play Enquiry 63

Create maximum impact without breaking the bank

There is no doubt that playground equipment with a bit of wow factor draws in visits from families to your pub, holiday park or visitor attraction.

However, Playforce understands that on a basic business level the numbers have to add up.

The company has gathered together three top tips from Playforce’s playground designers for making sure outdoor spaces create that interest without breaking the bank.

1. Choose features that stand out – including just one piece of equipment with a bit of height, or something unique such as a branded flag will help families to remember your site, and create instant excitement for children. Just remember, if you’re choosing a high level piece of equipment, you may need safer impact surfacing beneath it to comply with the relevant safety regulations.

2. Keep equipment footprints small to minimise surfacing requirements – surfacing can eat

Evergreens UK joins The European Synthetic Turf Organisation

The UK’s biggest artificial grass company has joined The European Synthetic Turf Organisation (ESTO), the non-profit organisation offering neutral and unbiased information for the promotion of synthetic turf.

Evergreens UK’s membership offers the opportunity to discuss, debate, research and develop the future of synthetic turf, creating a forum for all ESTO parties to communicate throughout the business chains.

Evergreens UK, which owns the popular LazyLawn® brand of artificial grass, has proved a musthave for home owners, schools, nurseries and businesses thanks to its low maintenance, mess-free alternative to natural grass which looks and feels authentic.

In business for over 30 years, Evergreens UK have established themselves as a major distributor, supplier and installer through its various trading divisions and brands. Evergreens UK will be joining ESTO as part of the

up large sums of money quickly, without seeming to add much play value. Playforce’s consultants will often recommend equipment that takes up a relatively small footprint such as the company’s Active Climbers to reduce the area of surfacing required, leaving more of your budget for the equipment.

3. Add colour – when trying to create an area to inspire and excite families, adding a bit of

colour can help it to stand out and become more memorable. If you want to keep the equipment looking natural or you’re trying to cover a large area, simply add some colourful surfacing, signage or fencing, or be brave and pick bold colours for your equipment. You could even match the area to your brand colours – Playforce can even include logos, lettering or symbols within the design.

Playforce Enquiry 62

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.”

Dura-Sport Enquiry 65

Landscaping Working Group, alongside yarn manufacturers, landscaping turf manufacturers, suppliers and installers as

well as companies offering maintenance services.

Evergreens UK Enquiry 64

RPII offers advice on adult outdoor fitness equipment

The installation of fitness equipment has accelerated over the past few years with many providers sourcing a range of equipment from a number of suppliers around the UK.

There have been a number of initiatives to try to implement a standard for this type of equipment including the French XP S 52904, some work on PAS888 and a draft German Standard.

Work has started on a European Standard but realistically it will be a minimum of two or three years before anything is likely to be published.

The German test authority TüV has had a test protocol in place since 2007, which they have used to certify products of this type throughout Europe since that time.

One of the biggest debates around Outdoor Adult Fitness Equipment has been its proximity to children’s play spaces and its suitability for such areas. The reality is that this type of equipment cannot meet with the requirements for play (BS EN 1176) as the scope of this standard relates specifically to play items intended for use by children. These would generally be viewed as usersup to the age of 14 years.

Nor can it meet the requirements of EN 957 as this standard relates specifically to Stationary Fitness Equipment intended for use in supervised Gymnasiums.

These products are not intended for ‘Play’ as they are designed for particular exercise types. The scale and configuration of the products target an adult user, rather than children.

Furthermore it is proven with anthropological data that excessive use of this type of equipment can cause severe joint problems in children, particularly when using apparatus that is not intended or proportioned for their use.

Some of the equipment items have pinch or crush points where the movement is restricted by the use of buffers and some items have extreme movement that presents a risk to younger or less competent users that may be passing by or by use of the equipment itself as it is not designed for their age group.

The RPII & API have concerns that some equipment is being installed either in or directly adjacent to children’s play spaces and there is majority agreement that some common advice is required for all suppliers and providers in this area.

The most common agreed position is that this type of equipment should not, under any circumstances, be installed inside an area that is dedicated to play for children under the age of 12 years or for less competent children; locating the equipment alongside areas specifically designed for teenagers or areas dedicated to adult fitness is appropriate. If there is a need to site the equipment adjacent to a children’s play area then a minimum separation of 25 metres

should be maintained, or segregation by some other means to provide a clear separation.

If possible additional screening should be considered to reduce the inducement to children.

Routes leading to children’s play areas should also be avoided to remove the temptation for children on a visit to a play area

treating the equipment as an item of play equipment.

Areas identified for fitness should be clearly marked as not suitable for children’s play and all items should be clearly and permanently marked with instructions on how each item should be used.

Outdoor Adult Fitness Equipment offers many benefits to the local communities in which it is installed and we should not lose sight of the potential good that these items can offer; but at the same time we have a responsibility to ensure that all reasonable and practicable measures are implemented to protect children and other less able users.

The RPII & API support the methodology outlined above and would actively encourage all members to adhere to and promote this approach

RPII Enquiry 68

Rooftop garden play area created by Russell Play

Caxton Works, also known as Royal Gateway, is a mixed-use redevelopment to regenerate the former Goswell Bakeries building in Canning Town, London.

Five new apartment blocks make up the residential part of the development with 336 exclusive apartments and penthouses. Within the bold architecture of the apartment blocks there are recreational courtyard areas for the residents including landscaped rooftop gardens and terraces.

Liz Lake Associates, the landscape architects working on the redevelopment, were looking for play features for the rooftop community garden that would complement the modern industrial feel of the architects design. The equipment should provide a play facility for children and at the same time enhance the attractive outdoor recreational space used by all the residents.

The landscaped area spans two stories and features exclusive podium areas with a central open space formed by curved raised beds. Each of these spaces providing a setting for a unique play point.

Liz Lake chose play units from the Russell Play Silhouette range, an ideal solution for this scenario. Silhouette was specifically developed to work with more urban play areas that feature modern architectural design concepts as well as traditional play parks.

The curving shapes of the beautifully crafted stainless steel enhance all environments and are enjoyed by both children and adults alike. They add a point of sculptural visual interest that residents of all ages will view in all seasons from their apartments or while out on the roof garden.

For children, a good range of physical activity is included in the Silhouette play units forming an ‘abstract trail’ throughout the rooftops. Climbing, balancing, swinging, hanging and sliding as well as anything else their imaginations can dream up.

As well as the play equipment the green rubber surface of the play areas combines well with top quality artificial grass and the bed plantings to form a cohesive look to the whole roof terrace.

RoSPA welcomes announcement of new Office for Product Safety and Standards

RoSPA has welcomed the Government’s announcement of the Office for Product Safety and Standards, in response to calls for an improved approach to product safety in the UK.

The new body has been set up to provide a central technical and scientific resource to support local authorities and businesses, and was created in response to a report from the Working Group on Product Recalls and Safety, of which RoSPA is a part.

Errol Taylor, RoSPA chief executive and member of the Working Group, said: “RoSPA advocates an evidence-based, cross-industry approach in its accident prevention work, and we are pleased to see the creation of a body that engenders this ethos.

“In support of this, data collection on product safety issues and subsequent injuries must be improved, and we are delighted to see that the Government has recognised this as part of its

Playdale appoints new distributors

Playdale is delighted to announce three new distributors for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Eire. Playdale is now working in partnership with Scotplay, Hawthorn Heights, and Murphy Playground Services to design and install fantastic new playgrounds for schools, councils and leisure attractions across Scotland, Northern Ireland and Eire.

Barry Leahey, Managing Director at Playdale is excited about the partnerships stating: “We have worked with distributors across the world for many years and have developed strong working relationships. We are looking forward to welcoming Scotplay, Hawthorn Heights and Murphy Playground Services to our team of worldwide distributors.”

recommendations, stating that “systematic and sustainable ways to capture and share data and intelligence should be established and agreed by relevant parties.

“We hope that the new body, and the Government’s other recommendations, will lead to better co-ordination and central support and leadership for major product safety issues.”

RoSPA has worked extensively on the issue of product safety

and recalls. The charity has also been working with the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) to improve data collection on injuries, recently helping the NHS to adopt the Emergency Care Data Set, which it is hoped will provide a better understanding of the causes of injuries to people attending A&E departments.

RoSPA Enquiry 70

Playdale Enquiry 71

Russell Play Enquiry 69

Sports pitches take shape at new £330m Northampton campus

A £330m state-of-the-art university is taking shape in Northampton, ready to open in 2018 with a floodlit all-weather pitch and three Multi-Use Games Areas for use by the community as well as students.

Northamptonshire civil engineering firm Prestige Civil & Sports has begun construction of the sports pitches at Northampton University’s Waterside Campus using Zaun sports fencing.

The floodlit all-weather pitch measuring 108m by 71m is already complete, with 4.8m-high fencing for ball retention, Duo8 Sports Rebound to the bottom 3m and floodlight posts incorporated into the fencing.

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.

The new university will transform a 58-acre brownfield site along the River Nene into

a vibrant cultural and social attraction, drawing in students and visitors from across the county and further afield.

Work on site began in 2015 and is now close to completion – the new campus opens its doors in September 2018 – with community focus at the heart of the design.

This includes commercial space, a hotel, leisure space and sustainable links to the town. A Grade II listed engine shed on the south of the campus has been converted into the home of the Students’ Union and its sports, societies and services.

A multi-use sports dome – for netball, badminton, volleyball and basketball – two sports performance labs and teaching spaces are also part of the development.

Sports are offered free to all students – Northampton is one of only two universities in the country to offer this.

Zaun Enquiry 74

RTC celebrates 25 years

RTC is celebrating 25 years in the play industry, and claiming its place as one of the oldest playground surfacing companies in the UK.

Established in 1993, the company’s mission has always been to support communities in making the most of their outdoor space by helping children stay safe as they play.

RTC believes playgrounds are a vital part of childhood and bring a range of benefi ts for both the local community and individual child development.

It is pioneering the use of graphics within surfacing and creation of bespoke designs for clients.

Past projects have seen RTC installing surfacing in playgrounds, shopping centres, and even roof tops.

RTC

Enquiry 73

Sport for all ages at Swaffham

The residents of Swaffham Town Council have enjoyed a fantastic celebration to mark the opening of their new Multi-use Games Area (MUGA) and Skatepark at the Recreation Ground at Haspalls Road.

Residents have been fundraising for a good many years and successful grant bid applications throughout 2016 helped raise the total fund to an amazing £150,000.

The tender for the MUGA was awarded to HAGS and Wheelscape provided the Skatepark. A true MultiUse sports area providing opportunities for running, fitness training, basketball, football, goal shoot practice, table tennis, cricket skills, roller skating, scooters and more!

The site celebrations started after school with a variety of people attending from young children, making full use of the track-way with roller skates and scooters, to

older children having an informal kick-about with their mums.

Personal trainers were on-hand to help organise the fun and the children were treated to goodie bags, snack boxes and fruit smoothies. Even the Town Crier practiced his basketball skills!

Helen Sephton-Pike, Area Sales Manager said “This is a fantastic achievement for the town and a great example of bringing people together for a common cause. It was really great to see just how a well-designed MUGA can be used and by such a wide spectrum of the community in age and abilities.”

HAGS Enquiry 75

Heysham heyday as Bay Cottage playspace opens

Looking out across the new play facilities at Bay Cottage on the North West coast of England, you get a real understanding of what the area means to Heysham residents and why such an extreme effort was made to restore the much loved playground.

It was local schoolgirl and triathlon specialist, Niamh Barnsley-Ryan, who has been the inspiration behind the revamped play area on the coast of Heysham in Lancashire.

Working tirelessly to help raise the necessary funds, she and the Friends of Bay Cottage desperately wanted to re-develop the beachside playspace that Lancaster City Council said could no longer be maintained.

Back before the funding campaign started, Sue JoyEatock, chair of the Friends of Bay Cottage play area, commented:

“This play area has been a valuable amenity for children, parents and families for many years and offers outdoor play that is so important for children’s development. It opens up the chance to access the beach and

all the fun children love by being near the sands. We want to develop a safe but fun and exciting play experience for youngsters that will remain a happy memory for those visiting area as well as local residents.”

Thanks to Niamh’s commitment and athletic endeavours, plus the consistent and persistent work of the Group, £80,000 was raised and their vision finally became a reality, when, in October 2017, the playground opened once more and eibe was thrilled to be a part of it.

The company’s unique robinia products really accentuate the natural environment and sit harmoniously amongst our Mounds, Tunnels and Slides. Heysham children will continue to have years of fun in what is truly delightful spot.

Zoe Munby, of Friends of Bay Cottage Play Area, said: “It has taken us three years to get to this stage, but it has been worth it to see a treasured community park – which has been used by generations of families – brought back to life and bringing fun to the many.”

eibe Play Enquiry 76

New inclusive adventurous site opened

Watford

the bespoke unit showcases an organic theme, complimenting the natural shape of the timber and existing landscape. The designers maintained this natural flow by avoiding the use of large man-made structures, therefore limiting the visual impact on the surrounding landforms.

The Harwood site is part of a two site project. The Harebreaks site was first to open early 2017 which was an ultimate treehouse that stood proud at 15m tall. Since, the Harwood site has been all eyes, as the public could only imagine what unique design was coming next.

Jupiter Play are proud advocates of inclusive play and believe inclusion in design does not have to mean compromises. This was the main focus around the design for the Harwood site, as a result Jupiter Play helped Southern Green Landscape Architects delivered a completely bespoke Inclusive Play PiPA certified ‘Community site’. The design of

Adding to the play value, the design also incorporates multiple play structures at varying levels around the feature unit. These include; a toddler multiplay, stepping stilts, agility course, climbing nets, play boulders, playhouses, climbing entrance structure and more. In order to create the community site, all play items designed had to consider the 6 senses of inclusive play. The team approached the design with this method consequently creating challenges for children at all levels, leaving no child on the sidelines.

Borough Council awarded Southern Green Landscape Architects the project to develop a unique and inspiring play space for their local communities to enjoy all year round. Jupiter Play’s bespoke capabilities helped bring the vision to life.