The existing play equipment on site was coming towards the end of its life, and several items had already been condemned. This left the village children with only one piece of play equipment to play on. Playing and socialising outside, especially using play equipment, is vital for a child’s physical and mental development. The lack of play equipment within the play space was upsetting for the local community.
Blakeney Village Recreation Centre, chaired by Beth Fordham, started the hard work of approaching local businesses for support and carried out a local public consultation to see what the local community would like their new play area to look like. The community were delighted to hear that they were awarded the funds for the play space by BIFFA, and then we were full steam ahead.
Eibe Play was initially drawn to this design due to the lovely location of the site and the council’s brief for a play area that is in keeping with the size and reflects elements of its surroundings. Following an in-depth site meeting with Blakeney District Recreation Centre committee members, eibe got a good picture of what was required and how we could create a play area that would benefit the local community.
The requirements were to create a play space that children could use for all ages and abilities but focus on age groups between 2-12 years.
It is essential to use a variety of play equipment in any new installation that offers a selection of play value for all ages and abilities. For toddlers and early Juniors, our fantastic play unit Diran was included. With its various challenging descents and accents, including its toddler and junior slides, this tremendous unit allows children of all ages to play together. The play area also includes our 20m cableway and toddler and junior swing frame, offering differing play experiences for a large age group. Our balance trail, Combination 3, provides a challenging balancing trail with various challenging crossings. Our Storks Nest Tree offers a unique play opportunity for the local community to love and enjoy. The 3m high rope net challenges the children’s risk-taking. However, it doesn’t stop there, as this item also spins! Lastly, the juniors and teenagers of the village will have great fun challenging and exploring all our Ben Nevis Unit has to offer, including its unique broad slide.
To ensure the play equipment fitted well within the local surroundings, it was agreed that eibe Play would use a grass matting safer surface around the play equipment. The grass matting would eventually let the grass grow through it and blend in.
The play area was opened by Blakeney District Recreation Centre, on a lovely Saturday afternoon, with the village children eagerly anticipating its opening. Goodie bags, refreshments and sweets were offered to everyone who visited the park. The local community continued to use the play equipment until dusk, and the play area has been packed ever since.
Eibe Play looks forward to supporting the community for years to come and has been overjoyed with the positive feedback it has received.