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 firm 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.
