Situated adjacent to the newly refurbished St Annes Community Centre, the Oak Tree Centre provides a local pre-school facility for the local community as well as hired space for private functions. Colchester Borough Council wanted to create a play facility suitable for young children attending the centre.
Following consultation with the pre-school club and users of the community centre a design was created to incorporate items of play sought after by the young target audience.
Due to its close proximity to the centre’s car park the play area was fully fenced, and the entire area laid with synthetic surfacing to remove any maintenance requirements.
The final play area included equipment from the Sutcliffe Play Toddlerzone range with brightly coloured equipment and games incorporated to help in the development of young children’s social and basic motor skills.
The first of the two main play structures in the completed play area is the Toddlerzone Train, a low level play train designed to encourage imaginative and social play. With a cylindrical tunnel, cab with wheel and carriages to the rear, the unit encourages interactive, imaginative play, and with the shade and shelter they can play for longer.
Further interactive and social play is encouraged in the Toddlerzone Playhouse, which features play panels to explore, including music pipes and puzzles.
The second of the two main play structures in the play area was originally a bespoke piece of equipment designed by a customer of Sutcliffe Play. The Hide & Slide unit offers three levels of access to a 1.2m high slide, up a ramp, a ladder or a ring climb. There is hidden social seating under the main deck, where children can sit, chat and hide.
The play area also features age appropriate equipment including stepping pods to develop balance and the skill of judging distances, and talk tubes which when positioned 20m apart enable children to hear each other whispering, encouraging interaction and the development of social skills.
“The new play area has put the Oak Tree Centre on the map! The Toddlerzone equipment is proving
to be very popular with children who attend the pre-school club and users of the community centre.
I am very pleased with the work carried out by Sutcliffe Play, from design to completion, who helped
us to create a new play area which fulfils our community needs.”
Steve Collis, Colchester Borough Council.