Southmead Adventure Playground

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Location:

Southmead Adventure Playground, Doncaster Road, Southmead, Bristol BS10 5PP

Opening hours:

Tues-Fri, 3.30pm-6.45pm (Term time)

Sat. and Holidays, 10am-12.45pm, 2pm-5.45pm

Staff are available on site from 11.30am Tues-Fri. 9.30am Sat. for any phone calls.

Bus routes: 76 and 54 stop outside.

No on site parking facilities.

Age range: 6-14 years. Under 6s are welcome with a parent or carer.

Neighbourhood Partnership Area:

Henbury & Southmead

Introduction:

The adventure playground is approximately two acres in size.

Facilities/Activities:

The playground now has a large building that houses a soft play room for under 8s,a craft room where activities such as t/shirt printing and dyeing take place, clay modelling, kite making, marbelling, junk play, jewellery and candle making are just some of the other craft activities we can offer.

The main room contains a pool table, table football, tv games consoles and table games also the opportunity to just sit and draw or talk together.

Outside there is a large run-a-round structure, ariel runway and American swing, also an under 8s area, with water and sand play, all set in a large grassed area. We have just had a toilet/shower block built at the rear of the building to compliment a multi use games court. The playground also has a huge bouncy castle which we use on the playground, and at National Playday. We also let the schools in the community use it for fundraising events.

Other off site activities include residentials in the Wye Valley, where young people enjoy activities such as mountain biking, fishing, and both day and night walking. Another favourite off site activity is Lazerquest, where groups of young people can stage mock battles without damaging themselves or others. In the past we have enjoyed coach trips to the seaside at Weston Super Mare or Barry Island. Young people are encouraged to budget their own money and to sort out any disputes they may have through talking.

Layout:

The building is all on one level so no steps are involved, it has disabled access and toilets. A ramp leads into the main room with dividing doors into the soft play/craft areas, also the shower toilet block. Double doors lead onto the court area.

Local Groups:

The Southmead Youth Centre boys and girls football teams use the games court for practice four times a week and it is also used by community groups, Henbury Colts, Avon Athletic and Southmead Community Sports. The playground also has strong links with local schools in the area.

Recent developments:

The disabled toilet/shower block was built using funding from the sale of Pen Park School with extra funding being given by the City Council and the Disability dept.

An under 8’s water and sand play area with climbing structure and decking access was also completed in 2009 under the Play Pathfinder programme funded by the Department of Children, Schools and Families. This funding is also being used to construct a maze under the existing run-around structure to make chase games more interesting and exciting.

This site was chosen as a site for investment under the Pathfinder programme through an assessment process, which involved a review of location, appropriate size, visibility, recent investment (or lack of), relationship to other regeneration programmes, child density and expected relationship within the emerging Plans for the Parks and Green Space Strategy.

The budget for the site was determined by the size and potential scope of the project in relation to the Pathfinder resources, together with the identification of any additional funding available from sources other than Pathfinder.

Consultation:

Children and parents were asked what type of structures, activities they would like to see on the playground, then followed meetings with CYPS, Planning and Architects before actual plans and a start date for work to begin actually happened.