P L A Y carried out extensive consultations to discover what the local community wanted from the new play area.

• Questionnaires were hand delivered and collected from every house in the parish

• Young children were consulted through meetings at the village nursery and the primary school

• Older children were invited to give their views at a separate evening

All responses were carefully collated and considered prior to the design briefing for the play area.

Click on photos to enlarge
One of the consultations involving children discovered
some interesting results of their choices for a play area.

First equipment installed
Thanks to the generous donations so far, the first pieces of equipment to have been installed were for the infant play area, these being a 'Toddler Kingdom' unit and three 'Springies'

'Toddler Kingdom' under construction

'Toddler Kingdom': the finished job with the springies in front.

PLAY has installed a more natural play items for the area following advice from the Forestry Commission.  This includes more natural equipment such as trees as well as including some of the more traditional play equipment. 

PLAY's stall at the Leigh Summer Show 2008, showing plans for the play area

Meeting to make the next order of equipment
The next phase of development is under way following a meeting on 7 October 2008 of PLAY with Paul Cordell of the Forestry Commission and David Lock of Halceyon Play. 
 

A basketball hoop, identified for the older sector of children surveyed, has been erected and some new gates installed, a bird's nest swing and a double zip wire have been constructed and opened in January 2009.  Picture shows the new double zip wire which was paid for by the Surrey County Council and being opened by Councillor Helyn Clack.

The existing climbing frame has been repaired and is now incorporated into the new play area.

A 'stump' has been constructed on the mound, and is being actively used by children, and there are picnic tables nearby.

The Plough pub has kindly offered to sponsor a piece of equipment, fundraising for a truly innovative piece of play equipment surrounding the mound area in the playground design by the Forestry Commission.

Major fund raising for the final pieces of equipment is under way, seeking a figure of about £58,000.  A large number of PLAY and Leigh activities are continuing to raise funds as shown on Funds Raised So Far

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