News

Playtime in Poole

Children in Poole have reason to celebrate this half term as as five refurbished play areas across the borough were opened on Monday 15 February.

Borough of Poole was awarded £1.1 million in funding from the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) in April 2009 as part of the two-year National Play Strategy Playbuilder programme to improve children's play areas.

Twenty-two play areas for 8-13 year olds will each receive funding of between £30,000 and £80,000 to improve and modernise play equipment by the end of March 2011.

The project, led by the council's Leisure and Children's Services departments, was split into two stages with the first 11 play areas being improved between April 2009 and March 2010.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Charles Meachin, officially opened the first of these to be completed on Monday 15 February at Beamish Road, Canford Heath.

Ward councillors, council staff, the Play Ranger team and local children led a launch trail from Beamish Road play area in Canford Heath before heading to nearby Sherborn Crescent.

Three further play areas were be opened by local children that afternoon at Turlin Moor's Pavilion area and Foreland Road, and finally Dawkins Road in Hamworthy.

Children, parents and residents from the local community were heavily involved during the design process for each play area, meaning the improvements and equipment are individual to the local area and vary at each site.

An aerial cableway will provide an exciting challenge for children in Canford Heath while a new climbing frame, rodeo board and tyre swings will provide children from Turlin Moor with hours of fun, with Hamworthy's younger residents making great use of a new basket swing and jungle climber. 

Cllr Tony Woodcock, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Children's Services and Play Champion for Poole, said: "Play is such an important part of a child's development and we are delighted we have been able to improve some of Poole's play areas to such a high standards and provide such varied play experiences for so many children to enjoy."

Carolyn Port, Regional Development Officer for Play England , said: "The Poole Playbuilder team have worked extremely hard and shown great commitment to complete these play areas as part of the DCSF capital programme. Their work has resulted in some excellent new play opportunities for young people in Poole."

The remaining six play areas in phase one will be officially opened in April.

A further 11 play areas will benefit from new play equipment between April 2010 and March 2011.

A full list of the 22 play areas receiving Playbuilder funding is available on our Leisure projects pages.