Children celebrate new play area at Aylesbury’s Riverside Walk

Archived press release

Date Published: 14/02/12

Play equipment

Councillor Derrick Isham, Chairman of AVDC, was joined by youngsters from the Jonathan Page Play Centre to officially open a new play area in Aylesbury.

The challenging and exciting equipment installed at the Riverside Walk has been specially designed to appeal to children aged between two and 14.

The £66,000 project was made possible thanks to a successful funding bid from the Quarrendon and Meadowcroft Community Action Partnership, supported by Aylesbury Vale District Council’s green spaces team. A £50,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s Community Spaces initiative was secured along with funding from the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust.

The play area is located on the open space between the Meadowcroft and Savernake developments and features hand carved wooden play sculptures, including a giant goldfinch shaped into a canoe, alongside traditional play equipment pieces.

The design for the facility was helped by children from the St. Louis and Haydon Abbey schools, the Quarrendon and Meadowcroft Community Action Partnership and local residents.

The project aims to enhance and encourage greater use of the Riverside Walk and the Meadowcroft and Haydon Hill play areas along its route.

Councillor David Thompson, Cabinet Member for Leisure, said: “This is a fantastic new play space in a scenic location. Not only is this another great resource for youngsters in Aylesbury but an added reason to visit the Riverside Walk, one of the jewels in the town’s crown.

“We recognise the importance of children’s play and are delighted to be working with other groups and organisations in order to continue to improve play facilities during these challenging financial times.”

Ray Ghent, Chairman of the Quarrendon and Meadowcroft Community Action Partnership (Q&MCAP), said: “Being able to respond positively to requests from members of the Quarrendon and Meadowcroft Community Action Partnership is always extremely rewarding and to see the idea of a new play space on a much needed area come to fruition has to be the best yet for Q&MCAP. As a local organisation we are always seeking ways to improve the facilities in the Quarrendon area and this ‘Play On Birds’ play space is probably the pinnacle of our successes over the past ten years.”

For more information on play areas in Aylesbury Vale, visit www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/leisure-culture or call 01296 585173.