Children in Bramcote were the first to try out a new play area at King George V Park in Bramcote, Thanks to £120,000 of funding from Broxtowe Borough Council and FCC Communities Foundation. Mayor of Broxtowe, Councillor Michael Brown joined children from The Village Nursery to test out the new play equipment and fitness areas, which features a fenced area for the under 9’s and items in the open grass for older children.

The area was designed by the Council’s Parks Team, using the results from an extensive local consultation undertaken late in 2018. The play equipment was sourced from a number of manufacturers and is predominantly made from sustainably grown European hardwood, which complements the rural feel of the park. The installation was carried out by Nottinghamshire based SPG construction and features an impact absorbing rubber surface.

As well as play equipment for the youngsters a fitness station has been provided, with activities to help keep the local community fit and active. Paths, steps and access points have also been improved to provide for visitors who simply want to explore the park and enjoy the natural environment.

The improvements are the latest as part of the Council’s Pride in Parks programme to invest £500,000 in improving parks and open spaces across the Borough. The Council committed £70,000 towards this project, with FCC Communities Foundation, a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community projects from funds donated by FCC Environment through the Landfill Communities Fund committing £50,000.

Cheryl Raynor, FCC Communities Foundations local grant manager says: “We are delighted to have supported the Borough Council to bring this project to fruition, this is a fantastic facility for local children and a great example of what can be achieved. FCC Communities Foundation is always happy to consider grant applications for projects that make a difference to local communities.”

Councillor Helen Skinner, Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee added: “The improvements have been made in keeping with the Council’s Green Futures programme as part of our commitment to protecting the environment for the future. All the wood, concrete and steel from the old play area was taken away for recycling, the redundant bark surface was re-used to surface paths in the woodland on the park and all the earth from digging the new area was kept on site and landscaped.

The majority of the play equipment is made from Robinia, a very durable hardwood grown sustainably in Europe, with the fencing, gates and seats made locally from recyclable steel. Even the rubber surface is 70% recycled, – with the area using around 30 tonnes of old car tyres! Finally, 3000 bulbs and 6 trees were planted as part of the landscaping, with further to add this autumn.”

For more information, contact Broxtowe Borough Council on 015 917 3507 or email grounds@broxtowe.gov.uk
For more information about FCC Communities Foundation funding contact Cheryl Raynor at cheryl.raynor@fcccommunitiesfoundation.org.uk or visit http://www.fcccommunitiesfoundation.org.uk