Play & Activity August 2023

Nature inspired adventure playground opens to the public

To tie in with the ‘Flashes Festival of Nature’ during mid-July, the public of Leigh and Wigan were treated to the opening of the Pennington Flash adventure playground.

This inclusive, nature-themed family play area attraction is now open and boasts a range of highspecification play equipment such as a wheelchair seesaw, tall towers with interconnecting crawling tubes and a multitude of swings plus a central ‘Toddler Lake’ for younger children to enjoy.

Designed by Proludic Ltd using feedback from local residents as part of a consultation that collated opinions, the play area is part of a £2.7m makeover of the much-loved beauty spot - now part of the Flashes of Wigan and Leigh National Nature Reserve.

Oscar Lorraine, Sales & Marketing Director from playground manufacturer and installer Proludic Ltd said:

“We were totally inspired by Pennington Flash and wanted to include elements that would reflect its natural beauty and help teach children about the diversity of wildlife in this wonderful habitat.

“Many well-known local birds will be found ‘hiding’ throughout the play space while our inclusive range of equipment will make use of materials that really complement the surrounding environment.”

Designed to blend in with its natural surroundings, the play area boasts a variety of wildlifeinspired attractions suitable for children up to the age of eleven - including equipment modelled on ducks, swans and other birds. This is all designed to make the user connect further with the reserve and provide educational context for the wildlife that can be found in the flashes.

A parent commented at the opening event “the attention to detail is fantastic from having the heron’s nest on top of the tall play tower to the replication of bull rushes on the balancing equipment adds to the sense that you are connecting further to the beautiful natural surrounds. My daughter really loves it here and the space has been considerably improved from the tired play area that was here prior.”

The Toddler Lake for underfives features wooden climbing equipment in the shape of a swan’s nest with a two-seater swan springer next to it, while there is also a wheelchair-accessible roundabout and seesaw as well as picnic tables for families to sit and relax together.

The completed project now represents the perfect destination park that further enhances the natural surroundings for the residents of Leigh and Wigan to enjoy all year round.

Proludic Enquiry 48

Universal Ramp from Wicksteed

At Wicksteed, we take immense pride in fostering an inclusive and accessible environment for all children.

Building on the success of our Universal Range, we are excited to announce the latest addition to this collection, the Inclusive Ramp. This innovative add-on is designed to provide children with diverse physical abilities an equal opportunity to explore and play.

Our Universal Range, already celebrated for its easy grip accessories, low and wide platforms, interactive panels, and drag ramp has been raising the bar for inclusive play. However, we recognised that some children faced barriers in accessing certain play elements, limiting their experience with the equipment.

Responding to this challenge, our incredible design team diligently

developed the Inclusive Ramp, a thoughtful and practical solution.

The Inclusive Ramp offers a gentle slope, allowing children with mobility challenges to effortlessly navigate the play structure. Its sturdy design ensures safety while promoting self-confidence and independence among less ablebodied children.

By providing an accessible route, the ramp enables inclusive play, fostering camaraderie and understanding among all children on the playground. By embracing the Inclusive Ramp, communities can champion diversity, accessibility, and the limitless potential of every child, ultimately fostering a world where every child can thrive.

Wicksteed Enquiry 49

Innovation that fires the imagination

At HUCK, we strive to create truly innovative and engaging play structures that give children the space to engage with one another, explore their imaginations and exercise their bodies.

We have a fantastic variety of rope-based play equipment, including small and large scale structures.

Our range includes play towers, rope bridges, tunnels, climbing structures and a whole lot more!

Our incredible design team can work with you on custom and bespoke projects, whether that’s singular pieces of equipment or a full-scale playground.

Depending on your requirements, we can use timber or steel, along with our signature Hercules rope, to craft our unique playground structures. Take your pick from a range of rope colours to match your landscape or pick something that stands out to create an eye-catching and stimulating play environment.

We’re rolling out powder-coating options for our galvanised steel frameworks, giving you even more choices when it comes to customising your playground. You can get in contact with us to discuss more about powder coating possibilities.

Not only do we design and supply amazing playground equipment, but we also install the pieces. We’re at every step to ensure our high quality and safety standards are maintained throughout the process.

HUCK Enquiry 51

eibe advise on designing holistic playgrounds

Playgrounds are at the heart of the community, allowing families to have fun, exercise and to socialise.

eibe Play has over 50 years of experience in designing and installing timber playgrounds and we would love to share some top tips to create a holistic play area that serves your whole community:

1. Designing With Play Values

– When selecting equipment think about its play value.

The core ones are swinging, sliding, spinning, rocking, climbing and sensory play. There are many more but we believe if your play area offers these experiences then it will sufficiently serve your community.

2. Age-Appropriate Design – Selecting equipment that offers a wide range of challenges will allow a range of age groups to benefit from the space e.g. Using both an

easy toddler playhouse and a more challenging junior playhouse.

3. Social Spaces – Creating seating areas for parents/ carers to relax is important. One key factor is that these spaces should have a clear line of sight to the play area for keeping an eye on their children and importantly, so they can also see you.

eibe Enquiry 52

API launches exciting new research projects

The Association of Play Industries has held a special Annual General Meeting (AGM) and dinner at Coombe Abbey, Warwickshire.

During the event, the API launched two new research projects focusing on enhancing children’s play opportunities.

The true value of play - Dr Chris Mackintosh from Manchester

Metropolitan University presented the aims and objectives of new, commissioned independent research into the play industry.

The project will assess global research, provide an overview of the play industry’s size, scope and influence, and estimate its social, health, environmental and economic worth in the UK.

Play in schools - Dr Amanda

Gummer and Nikita Chan of Fundamentally Children outlined plans to raise the profile of API members in the education sector. Their research aims to identify schools’ key concerns around children’s development, learning and wellbeing, including considerations for new playground equipment.

Association of Play Industries Enquiry 53

Star rubber are proud to introduce a new line of 2D pre-formed graphics for EPDM wet pour surfacing. Made from high quality, full colour EPDM wet pour and preformed for ease of installation, complete your surface with crisp graphics or even a bespoke logo. The only limitation is your imagination.

Full brochure available on request, please contact info@starrubber.co.uk for more information.

www.star-rubber.co.uk