Parks, Play & Sports
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www.dcep.co.uk Tel: 01630 673000 Fax: 01630 673247 Email:
info@directcontactexhibitions.com Post: use the Enquiry Sheet Wakefield Council on a play mission
Wakefield Council has worked with Upton based play experts Sutcliffe Play to design a new £70,000 playground in Airedale as part of a scheme that tackles obesity by providing outdoor facilities that encourage and support physical activity.
The Council secured over £70,000 from the NHS Wakefield District Change4Life Three Areas Project grant initiative for the new playground after Airedale was identified by NHS Wakefield District as one of the top three priority areas with particularly high levels of overweight and obese children.
Redhill Drive Recreation Ground was officially opened on Tuesday 12 February by children from Airedale Academy and Cllr Yvonne Crewe, Wakefield Council’s cabinet member for the Environment and Communities. The new play area will encourage local children to increase levels of physical activity and enjoy a healthier lifestyle.
The playground features innovative equipment from Sutcliffe Play including the Council’s first outdoor Parkour structure. Parkour or free running is growing in popularity across the UK and encourages play opportunities such as vaulting and balancing.
Sutcliffe Play’s exhilarating play system Mission has also been installed. Mission is designed to offer challenging physical play opportunities to help keep children fit and active. The fully modular system complements the Parkour range and includes ropes, nets, platforms and springboards to encourage climbing, traversing and descending in unique ways for high energy invigorating play.
The design of the play area is based on extensive consultation with young people and residents through focus groups and door to door surveys at over 700 homes within a 10 minute walk of the play area.
Cllr Maureen Cummings, said, “The play area is a fantastic addition for local residents and will encourage young people to spend more time outdoors socialising and keeping fit and healthy.
“We would like to pass our thanks to the Airedale, Ferry Fryston, New Fryston and Townville Neighbourhood Managament Board for their support throughout this project providing valuable local knowledge about the needs and requirements of the people of Airedale.”
Tom Matthews at Sutcliffe Play comments, “We’re delighted to have worked with Wakefield District Council on this exciting project. We are confident that the Parkour and Mission kit installed will provide local children with stimulating, engaging physical play opportunities to help towards the Council’s goal of creating a healthier District.”
Practical advice for Play Purchasers in API’s new directory
Purchasers of play equipment will find invaluable advice in the Association of Play Industries’ (API) brand new membership directory.
The new 2013 directory provides a useful guide to the UK’s leading designers, manufacturers, installers, distributors and inspectors of outdoor and indoor play equipment and play safety surfacing.
The directory is a helpful resource for local authorities, schools, developers, house builders and other buyers of playgrounds and play spaces. It includes:
Eight questions every buyer should ask their play space supplier: practical tips on what to ask for when scoping a playground project.
Play surfacing: everything a purchase needs to know about play safety surfacing, in plain jargon-busting English.
Spotlight on play: the lowdown on the UK’s leading play organisations and how they can help.
PlayFair at Saltex: a spotlight on the annual trade show dedicated to children’s play provision, showcasing latest innovations in play space design, products and construction.
Be smart, be safe: the latest advice on play space inspection.
Necessity is the mother of invention: a state-of-the-nation address from the indoor play sector.
A full list of approved members with contact details and web addresses.
API Vice Chairman Michael Hoenigmann says, “The API champions the vital role of play for children in our communities and, as such, encourages the highest standards amongst its membership. We urge purchasers to undertake rigorous due diligence when choosing a supplier and to insist on evidence of API membership for reassurance and peace of mind.
The API monitors its members’ financial stability through rigorous credit checking and regular financial performance monitoring. Meanwhile, our professional Code of Conduct means all members work to consistently high levels of performance, quality and safety. We trust play purchasers will find the new API directory a useful one-stop-shop when planning their next play project.”
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www.sutcliffeplay.co.uk
01977 653200 Reader Enquiry: 47
Play Surfacing - 9 jargon busting facts
Hard tarmac and cold concrete are a distant memory in playgrounds thanks to research and development into play surfacing. When browsing the latest models of swings and slides, it’s easy to forget to look down and appreciate what’s going on underfoot.
Safety first. Safety surfacing comes in all shapes and sizes. There are Standards to be met and requirements to be kept. To help combat the jargon and make sense of the safety talk, here are the nine notable things you need to know about surfacing.
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2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
Critical Fall Height Test. Every API member;s play surfaces have been rated by the Critical Fall Height (CFH) test. The CFH is based on the highest piece of playground equipment that a child can stand on and fall onto the surface without sustaining a life threatening head injury.
Engineered Base. Surfacing with an engineered base has a constructed sub surface that offers no benefits to the Critical Fall Height rating. For example, concrete or bitmac.
Non-Engineered Base. A non-engineered base may offer benefits to the CFH rating. These bases could include grass, soil or sand. It is important to know how the base has been tested and how it could effect your surfacing.
Wet-pour. A flexible play surfacing that is extremely popular due to its ability to adapt to any space. It creates a smooth surface and can be decorated with designs for play, eg. hopscotch.
Surfacing Tiles. These tiles can be produced in a variety of colours and arranged to create interesting patterns. They are eye-catching and can be replaced should they become damaged or broken.
Loose-Fill. Typically speaking, loose-fill surfacing includes bark chips, wood chips, pea gravel and sand. This type of surfacing is relatively inexpensive, easy to install, adds real value to play and provides a softer, less-abrasive landing for any bumps and falls. Sand, in particular, offers a great play opportunity for younger children. While some operators believe that it can attract dirt and litter, many think that the fun outweighs the raking maintenance.
7. 8. 9.
Grass. Much better suited for landscaped areas with a low-level of risk, grass is not recommended for surrounding high-level play equipment. It’s an aesthetically pleasing way to add a natural touch.
Grass Safety Mats. Combining natural aesthetic and safety, grass safety mats can be suitable for high- level play, subject to underlying ground conditions.
Synthetic/Grass Carpets. Available in a variety of colours, these safety mats resemble natural grass but have none of the maintenance issues.
When choosing the right surfacing for your playground or setting, it’s important to consider the safety aspects. As API members are all required to meet their Code of Practice for any play surface, you can be assured that your supplier has met all safety standards and you can place your focus on how your new surfacing will benefit the children using it.
www.api-play.org Reader Enquiry: 48 024 7641 4999
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