A new £120,000 park and play area will be built on Haywood Road, Mapperley after funding was secured by Gedling Borough Council and The Haywood Road Community Association from WREN, a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community, conservation and heritage projects from funds donated by waste and resource management company FCC Environment through the Landfill Communities Fund.

WREN confirmed this week that funding of £70,000 has been awarded towards the park and the council will provide a further £50,000. Earlier this year, the council announced that Haywood Road Community Centre and its bowling green, which was proposed to be sold to housing developers, would be saved by the council after listening to the concerns of hundreds of residents about its potential closure. Plans for the park were approved in September and include a rope pyramid, seesaws, slide, roundabout, balance beams, swings, picnic tables, benches and a table tennis area. The park is expected to open by Easter 2019.

Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said; “It’s absolutely brilliant news to find out the funding from WREN has been secured, meaning we can make this new park and play area a reality.
We listened to what our residents wanted to happen at the site and I would like to thank everyone involved for their support in getting this great community asset ready for everyone to enjoy.” Paul Drury, Treasurer of Haywood Road Community Association said; “Everyone is absolutely delighted, so many people in our community came together, first to save Haywood Road community centre from closure, then to campaign to stop the Green being sold to developers and now we have managed to secure funding to turn it into a wonderful park. Thank you to GBC for listening to the people of Mapperley and doing the right thing.”

Cheryl Raynor, WREN’s local grant manager said; “We are delighted to be supporting the Haywood Road Park and Play Area Development project and pleased that our funding will provide such a fantastic facility for young people. WREN is always happy to consider grant applications for projects that make a difference to local communities and we’re really looking forward to seeing this one take shape soon.”