Children of all ages will be able to enjoy the refurbished play area at Newington Recreation Ground later this year thanks to a £20,000 grant from Swale Borough Council.
The council’s contribution could help install a wheelchair friendly roundabout, a new trim trail and climbing frame, and create a picnic area for families to enjoy during the warmer months.
The play area already has a floodlit ball court with basketball hoops, teen shelter, slide, see-saw, climbing frame, zip wire, basket swing and four flat-seat swings, plus a sputnik roundabout and two cradle-seat swings for toddlers.
A survey of residents, carried out by the Friends of Newington Recreation Ground, showed people frequently used the popular park but would like to see it modernised with more options for disabled children and wheelchair users.
Cllr Richard Palmer, cabinet member for community at the council, said:
“The Friends of Newington Recreation Ground have been tirelessly raising money to carry out the improvements for the new play area and we are pleased to provide this £20,000 to help them reach their goal.
We make £1 million available every year for special projects around the borough, and important projects like this are a great example of how these grants can make a big difference.
We’re pleased to support the efforts of local people to deliver this project alongside Kent County Council, Newington Parish Council and Friends of Newington Recreation Ground.
This is a wonderful example of what we can achieve when working together as a team.”
Judy Haynes, secretary for the Friends of Newington Recreation Ground, said:
“We are delighted with the support from the council. We’ve raised £40,000 since the process began in 2018 and this additional £20,000 has given us a real boost towards our goal of achieving an exciting, modern and inclusive playground for the residents of Newington.
We asked people what they wanted to see in the play area, and they were clear with us - benches, an accessible roundabout and sensory items were a priority, and more than 50 per cent of survey respondents requested a zip wire.
The parish council installed the zip wire last summer, so we’ll use this money to go to tender and seek bids that can offer us the best solution for the whole village.
We hope the play area will be completed before the end of the year.”
For more information about applying for a grant visit: www.swale.gov.uk/grants
Swale Borough Council
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