Playbuilder Success for Chesham Town Council

Case Study: Playbuilder for Chesham
Client: Chesham Town Council
Budget: £54,000
Funding: Playbuilder/ Council

Client Background
Chesham Town Council wanted to refurbish the dilapidated main play area in their popular and historic Lowndes Park. They choose to work with Nottingham based Proludic on the project with an aim of making it more accessible, challenging and easier to maintain.

Consultation
Consultation is key to the Playbuilder programme as it advocates that the community should have a say in the play space facilities. Proludic worked with Chesham to provide a successful consultation day with the wider community. It was very well attended and included a Graffiti wall inviting the community to post their opinions and a Wii Sports challenge game.

The Design
It was from the consultation day that Proludic were able to choose the best equipment for the park. As it was partly Playbuilder funded, some equipment chosen had to fit the 8-13 age range. Equipment included a Gyrospiral roundabout, a Pod Swing, and an Ixo Multiplay. Some Cradle Seat Swings and a castle themed multiplay unit were also added so the area would appeal to younger children.
The Pod is an excellent inclusive piece of kit allowing children to be cradled and supported while using it. It also accommodate up to 10 children at one time, encouraging social play and interaction.

The Installation
During the installation more than 400 tonnes of soil had to be removed to level out the existing slope, creating a terraced area suitable for picnics and some benches. Although time and effort was spent in doing this it meant the site was immaculate by the time Proludic installer finished.
James Wilman, Area Sales Manager for Proludic comments “The first thing we did was to level out the slope which existed before to make it accessible. We have added some excellent play facilities that the children of Chesham should really enjoy”.

Outcome
The play area in Lowndes Park was officially opened by the Town Mayor, Justine Fulford in August after 6 weeks of work. It has already been well used, with the play area packed out on sunny days.

“We look forward to seeing lots of children enjoying this play area and would like to thank everyone for their hard work in making this possible” : Justine Fulford, Town Mayor.

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