The town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight was once a thriving fishing village, developed as a holiday resort during Victorian times. But despite its fine seafront promenade and Victorian villas, it was in need of regeneration and remained woefully short of natural gathering spaces for children.
    An exciting £300,000 project to create a much-needed children’s playground has not only revitalised an entire community in one of the most deprived parts of England, it illustrates graphically how play can enhance people’s lives.
    The two-and-a-half-year project to create a modern facility for children to meet, have fun, and enjoy valuable physical exercise, was
masterminded by Cathy Foulkes and Rusty Hanlon, play development workers of the Ryde Development Trust, which was established to regenerate the town. What was interesting was that Cathy and Rusty recognised the importance of play in the town’s regeneration strategy. They then involved the community in the mapping process, with children building models of the town and visiting demonstration playgrounds, before identifying the specific location or design of Oakfield.
    Through the Ryde Play Challenge project , their policy of total community involvement ensured that around 500 local school children were consulted on the kind of playground and equipment they wanted to see in their community.
    “Young people in Oakfield have not only gained a wonderful play facility, they have also gained enormous pride through their direct involvement in the project,” said Cathy.
       “Young people in Oakfield have not only gained a wonderful play facility, they have also gained enormous pride through their direct involvement in the project.”
    “Many children have also gained new skills in terms of communicating their thoughts to adults. There’s nothing more effective than young people saying what they want, having made informed choices by testing play equipment. Their involvement in the process has helped us to make better decisions and raised their self-esteem.”
    Largely thanks to the youngsters’ involvement, the ARC – which stands for Active Recreation for Children – includes around £100,000 worth of playground equipment supplied by Sutcliffe Play.
    “Oakfield is a very deprived ward, there’s never been anything here for children to do, and it’s been stigmatised as the sort of place people don’t want to come to unless they have to,” said Cathy.
    The first foundations for change were put in place in 2003 when the Ryde Development Trust secured a £51,000 grant from the Single Regeneration Budget for the Play Challenge Project – a first step which would ultimately lead to another £337,000 being raised through grants, business donations and fundraising.
    In November 2004 the Trust bought a four-and-a-half acre area of scrubland which was previously a derelict eyesore, with the aim of developing a 21st century inclusive play facility.
    Playground designer Paul Casey, of Playground Services, worked with Sutcliffe Play to draw up plans for the new park.
    “Play has moved on so much over the years,” reflected Paul Casey. “We went through a phase in this country where we tried to eliminate all risk and challenge and fun, and we made very bland, flat play areas.
    “What we now realise with the development of our youth is that they need that element of risk and challenge and fear, and the opportunity to have fun and run around and interact with different age groups.”
    The playground, which opened in phases between April 2005 and February 2006,
comprises four main play elements, an inclusive playspace, a more challenging Teenzone for older children, and a heavy duty ball court. The fourth and final element is a skate park.
    And the park has been a resounding success. The ARC is generating 15,000 visits a year to this deprived ward of Oakfield from people of all ages.
    Most Oakfield residents are highly impressed with what has been achieved. One mother of two small children told a survey she was now staying in Oakfield because of the new park. Others are delighted that the area is now so much cleaner and tidier. The whole area has been enlivened – a first step towards full regeneration.
    Whilst the new £300,000 Oakfield ARC play area in Ryde cannot provide a miracle cure for complex social problems, its remarkable success underlines the formidable power of play as a force for community regeneration.
    The Ryde Play Challenge has created three films with young people that demonstrate the importance and value of play. The DVD of “Children’s Voices”, “Making Space in Oakfield”, and “No place to go” costs £10 plus £1 postage and packaging. It can be obtained by calling the Ryde Development Trust on 01983 616362.

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