Joy at £56k Playground Makeover in Gloucestershire Village

Horsley village in Gloucestershire will soon have a newly revamped playground. Work on the £56,000 play area started this month, thanks to a grant from the Veolia Environmental trust of £29,800 and a further £26,000 which has been provided by the Landfill Communities Fund.

The original park, where the new playground equipment is to be erected, was previously only suitable for younger children. This meant that older children and teenagers had very few outdoor activities available to them. The site is also prone to seasonal flooding and there wasn’t adequate seating areas. So parents and caregivers were not provided with a decent area to relax and socialise. Other problems facing the park are the fact that it’s exposed to the wind and the fence is in desperate need of repair.

A Welcome Solution

Fortunately for the village residents, all these problems are being addressed. In 2010 a steering committee was set up to determine the viability of upgrading the park’s facilities. Thanks to this effort, the park will soon become a social hub of the Horsley parish, with picnic facilities where the community can socialise while their children are provided with healthy amusement. The new playground equipment will provide fun and excitement for children of all ages and will include a zip line, snake swing, sandpit and climbing wall.

The Horsley Play Project at Priory Fields, which is supported by the Horsley Parish council, has been met with great enthusiasm. It provides local residents with a wonderful area to meet with family and friends in an open and social environment. Children will receive the immense benefit provided by play equipment that engages them and encourages them to spend time outdoors. The variety of playground equipment will stimulate them to exercise and provide for fun learning experiences.

A Community Hub

The great thing about a community playground is that children learn many valuable skills without even realising it. Apart from benefitting from healthy outdoor exercise, they engage with other children in a fun and relaxed environment, improving their social skills. Overcoming the challenges presented by playground equipment helps them with problem-solving and improves their cognitive abilities.

By investing in the upgraded playground, Horsley village has granted all of its residents a great opportunity that will bring them joy for many years. One can be sure that many fond memories will be made in the coming years, as people of all ages get to spend their leisure time in the open air and sunshine, sharing special moments with family and friends. There can be no doubt that it will strengthen the sense of community and sharing.

It’s a place where adults can come together and share common interests, while their children enjoy fun activities with one another. This is an example for other communities to follow, in a world where we often retreat to computer and TV screens, it’s refreshing to see new places where people can engage in the open, like in times gone by. We can only hope to see more projects like this in the future.