Why not try to get along to a launch…  share some inspiration and pick up some tips!

February 15
Friends of Wyndham Square
Neswick  Play Area
Stonehouse
Plymouth
PL1 5JG
Playground

February 16
Parkstone Sports & Arts Centre
Recreation Road
Poole
Dorset
BH12 2EA
Multi-use games area

March 24
Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Great Dunmow
St Mary’s Riverside Project
Church End
Great Dunmow
Essex
CM6 2AE
Churchyard/nature improvements

March 31
Friends of Ashurst Recreation Ground
Lakewood Road/Whartons Lane
Ashurst
Southampton
Hampshire
SO40 7EF
Park improvements

April 11
Woodsend Community Group
Woodsend Park
Woodsend Circle
Flixton
Manchester
M41 8GY
Playground

April 14
Friends of Peckham Rye Park
Peckham Rye Park
Southwark
London
SE15 3UA
Community wildlife garden

April 21
Garstang Millennium Green Trust
Wyre Lane
Garstang
Lancashire
PR3 1HZ
Footpaths and bridleways

 Space fans should be heading for Derby next week as the Alvaston Park Science Garden counts down to lift-off.

The Alvaston Park Friends – helped by a Community Spaces grant – have created a series of large-scale science exhibits in the park, which will be officially opened by the Mayor of Derby, Coun Les Allen at 12.30pm on Wednesday January 18.

The formal opening and celebration of the garden will run until 5pm, followed by the BBC Stargazing LIVE Star Party, which finishes at 9pm.

The party will feature Starchaser Industries’ Skybolt rocket. Mad Science will provide science-based activities, Derby Museum & Art Gallery will be organising craft activities with an astronomical flavour and Derby & District Astronomical Society will be on hand with telescopes for visitors to explore the night sky.

Find out more at www.alvastonparkfriends.org.uk

The Community Association secured a Community Spaces Sustainability Grant following on from their original funding for the development of the rec, which has helped to fund further activities and events.

The family fun day followed an activities programme that saw youngsters from the community engaged in football, basketball, tennis and dance mats.

The Family Fun Day was a huge success, with over 150 people attending throughout the day. With activities to choose from such as basketball and football, a bouncy castle, soft play, and the popular 4 in 1 bungee trampoline, the day went down as treat (as did the home baked refreshments).

The project, which was developed by Toronto Community Association and Groundwork North East, included the replacement of the existing play area with a new improved facility along with the installation of a multi use games area and access improvements.

The scheme, which cost over £130,000, was part funded through Community Spaces. Other money came from Durham County Council Urban Rural Renaissance Initiative, Section 106 funds and Bishop Auckland Town Council.

He cut the ribbon to mark the opening of a new boules/petanque piste, a basket swing, wooden shelter, grassed mound with tunnel and slide and a seating and picnic area, all joined up with a metre-wide path.

The latest phase of the project was made possible through a £49,999 Community Spaces grant.

For more on what’s happening at Stratton-on-the-Fosse see the village website

The multi-use games area was officially opened by international athlete and 2011 Corby Sports Personality of the Year Karen Harewood.

The games area has been funded principally through a £99,984 grant from Community Spaces following a successful application by the Friends of Gretton Recreation Ground.

The project was one of a number of ideas suggested as part of a Parish Plan produced by the Parish Council in 2004 and which highlighted that villagers would like to see a MUGA in the village along with better play and sports facilities.

The Friends of Gretton Recreation Ground was subsequently formed, including members of many organisations in the village, to bring these ideas to fruition. The group has already built a new Jurassic Adventure Playground and BMX track and is working on other projects, including a young children’s play area and improvements to the Changing Pavilion.

The group invited athlete Karen Harewood, the 2011 Corby Sports Personality of the Year to open the MUGA. Karen holds the English National 800m title and has represented Great Britain in the World and European athletics championships.

Tim Fox, chair of the Friends Group, said: “I hope that both young and old will enjoy this new facility.”

The afternoon included netball, basketball, football and tennis competitions, traditional games, complimentary hot food and refreshments and all serenaded by Gretton Silver Band.

The MUGA has a fencing surround with carpet surface and floodlights and Tim added: “It is a superb facility for many activities and we want to encourage as many people as possible to use it. The football and cricket clubs will be holding coaching sessions for junior players and I have been contacted by a group of ladies who would like to rekindle their netball skills.

“There is interest in forming a junior tennis group and both the Primary School and Chirpy Chicks pre-school will use the area regularly. The facility is open for all and there will be times which groups can pre-book.”

December 3
The Welfare Park Committee
Welfare Park
Garland Road
Parkeston
Harwich
Essex
CO12 4PA
Park improvements, play equipment

Hawthorn Mother and Toddler Group
Belmont Avenue
Hawthorn
Durham
SR7 8SE
Playground

Brixton Community Association
Woodland Drive
Brixton
Plymouth
Devon
PL8 2PB
Playground

December 4
Friends of Bottom Boat Playground
Bottom Boat Road
Stanley
Wakefield
West Yorkshire
WF3 4AU
Playground

December 8
Wildlife Habitat Protection Trust
Little Fenton
Leeds
LS25 6HG
Nature trail, community wildlife meadow

December 10
Derby Sutton Estate Tenants Association
Shalfleet Drive
Alvaston
Derby
DE24 0UR
Natural play area

December 11
Friends of Marsden Park
Manchester Road
Marsden
Huddersfield
West Yorkshire
HD7 6EU
Playground

Friends of War Memorial Park
Leamington Road
Coventry
CV3 6JD
Playground

Blackhall Community Association
Heselden Road
Blackhall
Hartlepool
Cleveland
TS27 4LG
Community garden improvements

December 17
Wellies Action Group
Wellington Place
Hereford
HR1 1SW
Playground

Gaddesby Play Ground Group
Paske Avenue
Gaddesby
Leicestershire
LE7 4WJ
Multi-use games area

Manor Park Fund
Johnson’s Lane Play Area
Crowle
Lincolnshire
DN17 4EW
Playground

Jarvis Brook Recreation Ground
Crowborough
East Sussex
TN6 2EG
MUGA, skate facility, natural play area

December 19

Quarrendon & Meadowcroft Community Action Partnership
Meadowcroft
Aylesbury
Bucks
HP19 9LS
Playground

St Mark’s Community Association
St Mark’s Terrace
Millfield
Sunderland
SR4 7BN
Community and activity garden

Royd Regeneration, which secured a CS grant to renovate a memorial garden in Mytholmroyd, has been using its additional Sustainability Grant to hold events in the new garden.

The latest was held to unveil the restored statue of a soldier on the village war memorial. Children from three local primary schools came together to sing at the event and they proved such a hit that the choir is being brought back to sing at the forthcoming Remembrance Day service on November 13 as well as carol concerts in December and a “Wake up the Garden” event planned for next March.

Jade Smith of Royd Regeneration says: “The children were absolutely marvellous. They were fascinated by the history of the war memorial as almost all the 132 men named on it were from their schools and some of them were related.”

The war memorial was originally unveiled in 1922 by local First World War veteran Gilbert Hartley. It was vandalised in 1992 and the head was stolen. A replacement proved universally unpopular with villagers, says Jade.

Once the memorial garden was built, local campaigners set about finding a new head for their statue. They commissioned West Riding Stone Carvers to make a fresh replacement, which was unveiled at the latest event by Gilbert Hartley’s daughter Barbara Jeffrey, accompanied by her great-grandchildren.

Work on the statue was funded by private donations, street collections and a grant from Calderdale Council.

Jade adds: “We had the new head in place and covered with a sheet for three weeks before it was officially launched and I am delighted to say that our local youngsters respected the site and left it well alone until the unveiling.”

November 2
Leybourne Community Group
Youth Active Play Area
Oxley Shaw Lane
Leybourne
Kent
ME19 5QL
Play area, pathways improvement, new planting

November 5
Rattlesden Community Council
Pavilion Play Area
Rattlesden Community Pavilion
Rattlesden
Suffolk
IP30 0RT
Play equipment, ball play area

East Cottingwith Outdoor Play Association
East Cottingwith Outdoor Play Area
Green Lane
East Cottingwith
York
YO42 4TT
Playground

Stoke by Nayland Recreation Ground Committee
Stoke by Nayland Play Area Project
Playing field off School Street
Stoke By Nayland
Colchester
Essex
CO6 4QY
Playground

Bidbury Mead Friends
Improved entrance to Bidbury Mead
Bedhampton Road
Havant
Hampshire
PO9 3EU
Improved access and gates for popular park

November 6
Play Area Implementation Team for Dundry Parish Plan
Dundry Village Play Area
Crabtree Lane
Dundry
Somerset
BS419LN
Playground, new seating

November 11
Stapeley Parish Action Group (SPAG)
Stapeley Playground Project
Pear Tree Field
Stapeley
Nantwich
Cheshire
CW5 7GZ
Playground

November 12
Burham Senior Youth
Burham Skate Ramp – Mark II
Burham Recreation Ground
Rochester Road
Burham
Kent
ME1 3SH
Skate ramp

Bourn Youth Project
Jubilee
The Jubilee Playing Field
Alms Hill
Bourn
Cambridgeshire
CB23 2SH
Playground

Reighton Village Hall Committee
Reighton Village Hall Community Area
St Helens Lane
Reighton
North Yorkshire
YO14 9SB
Playground, landscaping

November 19
Friends of Davyhulme Park
All to Play For, Davyhulme
Davyhulme Park
Croftsbank Road
Davyhulme
Manchester
M41 0RX
Playground

Dutton Close Residents Association
Dutton Close Play Park
Stoke Heath
Market Drayton
Shropshire
TF9 2JW
Playground

Friends of Meadowside
Meadowside Play Area
Storrington
Pulborough
West Sussex
RH20 4EG
Playground, picnic area

Bibury Play
Field on land to the south of B4425
Cirencester to Bibury Road
Arlington
Bibury
Gloucestershire
GL7 5ND
Playground

November 21
Exhibition & Brandling Parks Community Trust
The Lakeside Explorer
Exhibition Park Lake
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE2 4LZ
Lakeside wet area nature trail and educational experience

November 26
Godstone at Play
Godstone Green
High Street
Godstone
Surrey
RH9 8DT
Playground

As well as finding great places to play outside, families can nominate their own natural places to play. Once they’ve played there, they can go back and rate the areas, post comments and upload photos to show why they are good places to play – or why they need improving.
So, if you know a great natural space to play, don’t keep it to yourself.

And if you are still stuck for ideas, don’t forget the Community Spaces map of our completed projects and the Groundwork UK Urban Oasis map. There really is no excuse…

Felix Wilson, aged 10, won the fancy dress prize with his home-made Blue Knight costume

The Friends of Stationers Park in north London have launched their new playground after a whirlwind couple of weeks.
Anyone who has organised a launch event will know the effort required, so when the Friends were given just two weeks’ notice that their project would be ready, they swung into action.

The playground – which benefited from a £49,940 Community Spaces grant – features a fort at its heart, so the Friends organised a medieval-themed event, with a fancy dress competition, stilt walker, face-painter, musicians and other attractions.

Kle Savidge, chair of the Friends group, says: “Our event was turned around in less than two weeks as that was the most notice the council could provide on exactly when the fence around the building work would come down. I think I speak for everyone when I say it looked like it had been months in the planning.

“We are now fundraising for stage two of the playground build.  If anyone has time to get involved, please do get in touch by emailing friendsofstationerspark@yahoo.co.uk 

Good luck with the next phase…