Sutcliffe Play worked with The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice in Stoke-on-Trent to design and install a new £150,000 inclusive playground which was made possible through the generously donated £150,000 raised from individuals and companies throughout Staffordshire and Cheshire.
The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice Trust provides a range of specialist care and support services for children with a shortened life expectancy and their families. They Trust provides care for around 180 children between the ages of 0 -19 years from Staffordshire and Cheshire.
Mike McDonald, Chief Executive at The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice said, “One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is the ability for them to play with their siblings so today was a fantastic opportunity to thank everyone who has enabled us to create such a fantastic playground”.
Indoor and outdoor play forms an important part of our work with life threatened children as play has a fundamental impact on children’s growth and development and allows them to explore, discover and make sense of their environment.
For Amanda Harrison her dream of seeing her three children being able to play together without a wheelchair or disability being an obstacle to having fun has finally come true.
Amanda says “I’m completely blown away by the playground just because James is in a wheelchair shouldn’t stop him having fun and I well up just seeing them being able to play together forming that special sibling bond, it’s priceless.”
Kevin Sellwood from Sutcliffe Play says “It’s been a fantastic and rewarding experience working with The Donna Louise Children’s Trust on the new playground. The team here really are dedicated to providing the best possible memories for children and their families. Play forms a big part of that and it has been a pleasure to design a truly inclusive playground that we’re sure will have a positive impact on everyone here.
“The playground equipment we’ve installed means that children of all abilities can play side-by-side without boundaries. The basket swing is designed to take several young children and is designed like bird’s nest. We’ve also installed a new inclusive roundabout that means children in wheelchairs can wheel themselves into the roundabout and enjoy the sensation of spinning, all together, at the same time.
“The feedback from children and families has already been amazing and we can’t wait to hear more!”
