New play park at Broadstone Recreational Ground for older children

Volunteers from the Broadstone Neighbourhood Forum have spent the last two years raising money to re-instal a playground at Broadstone Recreational Ground.

The rec was opened 100 years ago, and the playground was first built in 1928, but it slowly declined and was removed in the late 80s and replaced with a toddler park.

Broadstone Neighbourhood Forum is collaborating with the BCP council to put the play park back and ‘create a space for older children to play.’

Project lead Colin Elkins said: “We want to build something for children six years and older.

“We wanted to create something to challenge them, somewhere they can play and adventure.”

The BNF team managed to raise £122,500 and acquire planning permission to build the park.

They used the money from the community infrastructure levy (CIL) as well as approaching three businesses to raise the additional £22,500.

Work started on February 26, and the team says the project is expected to be finished within a month, weather permitting.

Plans for the new play park (Image: Colin Elkins)

Colin said: “This is probably the largest collaborative project that has been undertaken between a council and a voluntary group in Dorset.

“It’s been a long journey for the BNF team with a lot of frustrations and setbacks, but the small team of three overcame funding, planning, budgets and, of course, council formalities, and will finally see the playground put back in the ground.”

The idea to reinstate the park came about after residents complained that there wasn’t a nearby place for children to play.

Caroline Bliss is on the neighbourhood project team; she said: “At the moment, people are having to travel a long way to play at a park.

“We realised there wasn’t nothing on our doorstep for older children.

“We really wanted to make this happen and were never going to give up.”

The project team ran a drawing competition with Broadstone First and Middle School, asking the children to design their very own playpark.

Eight winners were chosen and received giant crayon sets as prizes.

The team is currently arranging for the schoolchildren to be the ones to open the park for the first time.

Jupiter Play designed the park. It is 25m long and will accommodate 40 children.

It includes an accessible area for children to play while their carers support them.