A bespoke play area, at the heart of the community and with the community at heart – thanks to £10,000 from Bags of Help and a lot of wheelbarrowing of safety bark by volunteers.

The play project was originally part of larger community plans for a public park elsewhere in Kilwinning. Planning and permissions issues required a rethink, so the facility moved site to a safe compound beside Woodwynd Community Hall. Further consultation with the local community resulted in commissioning a bespoke piece of equipment, designed for local needs, to encourage active play and socializing, together with picnic tables for outdoor eating and adult chats whilst the kids play.

To help the funds stretch further, local volunteers cleared the site, dug perimeter foundations and once the equipment had been professionally installed, the volunteers barrowed in piles and piles of safety play bark. The Council Safety Officer supported the group through its decision making.

“Through teamwork, we adapted our plans to suit our community’s needs. It is great to see the children being active, and families socialising outside”

- Colin Young, ACES Community Development Officer

The Woodwynd Community Hall sits within a large housing estate in Kilwinning.  ACES (Ayrshire Communities and Sport) run youth clubs, disabled children’s clubs and school holiday clubs within the Hall. They also take awareness sessions into local schools, addressing and discussing issues that young people face locally. Other groups that use the Hall, like Mothers & Toddlers also benefit from the outside play area and picnic tables.

Key Facts

Location: Woodwynd, Kilwinning, North Ayrshire
Project type: Outdoor play
Bags of Help Funding: £10,000
Grantee: Ayrshire Communities Education and Sport
Facebook: @aceswoodwynd

View the printable pdf Woodwynd Commmunity Play Area

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Up to £2000 is available from Tesco Bags of Help to support a wide range of projects that benefit your local community. Tesco Bags of Help is administered by Groundwork working with greenspace scotland to support applicants and successful projects in Scotland. 
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