Gillingham Play Areas

This project will cater for the needs of children and young people living on and around Hyde Road, Lodbourne and The Gillings housing estates.

The two items of play equipment at the Hyde Road play area will be enhanced by an additional seven pieces of kit. This will include a play-zone unit with wall climber and slides, rotating beam, double seesaw, dish roundabout, two springies and a 3 seat rocker. The area will also provide a separate grassed area requested by the children for ball games.

Based on the requests of the parents and children, Lodbourne play area will primarily cater for the needs of toddlers and young children. In addition to the current 4 seater swing, four new items will be added including a free standing slide, three seat rocker/springie, a non-bump seesaw and a rotating dish roundabout. The existing perimeter fence will be relocated in order to increase the size of the play area and install the additional equipment.

The Gillings play area adjacent to the Wyke Primary School, will receive a further five pieces of kit to encourage climbing and rotating games. These include a rotaweb climber, back to back roundabout, seesaw, springie and a spring platform with backrest. One side of the perimeter fence around the existing play equipment will be realigned to accommodate the proposed scheme.

The following outcomes are expected from the implementation of this project:

1. the number of children and young people attracted to energetic play and engaged in a wide range of play experiences at this play area will increase from 57 to 285 by the end of the grant period.
2. 45 children and young people will demonstrate increased confidence and self worth through the provision of free play spaces.
3. 24 of the children and young people will become involved in the design, use, operation and maintenance of the play area by the end of the grant period.

The project is estimated to cost £46,963 with £18,000 coming from Liveability Fund, £11,500 from BLF and the remaining £17,463 raised by the town council. This project is set to start in September 2007.