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. It includes a new Mission play system and specially designed Parkour features.
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 from Wakefield Council. 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, cabinet member for the Environment and Communities 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 Management 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.”
For further information go to https://www.sutcliffeplay.co.uk/case-study/wakefield-on-a-play-mission/
