Gressenhall Play Park Improvement Project

We together as the Gressenhall Community have raised £77K for our older children’s play area, which was requested by the young people of the village. This funding has come from local activities as well as formal grants made.

The £77k raised is sufficient to build out phase 1 of the PlayPark on the Parish Council land on the edge of the playing field in Gressenhall (full list of items included in phase 1 and phase 2 of the build out, at the end of the update) and we hope to break ground on phase 1 in early September.

We also had a central-information-stand at the June 1st Gressenhall fete where we laid out all the PlayPark plans, photos plus graphics and engaged hundreds of local residents in positive discussion, questions, input and fundraising. Please see these graphics and images for your information. 

Even more information on the design, layout and equipment for the Play Park is also placed on the Gressenhall parish council website on its own dedicated page. We continue to update and field questions from interested residents at the monthly Parish Council Meetings in the Reading Room (first Tuesday of every month, free to attend!). 

We would like to improve the existing Play Park on the recreation field outside the Gressenhall Sports and Social club. The existing play equipment is designed for children under the age of 8.

Following a survey we undertook with the local community where we had over 148 responses we have established a compelling need for play facilities for older children and younger teenagers within the community. 

The difference we would like to make is to provide older children and young teenagers with something to do within a remote rural village, that promotes young people to engage with an active lifestyle, reduce screen time and discourage anti-social behaviour. 

The entire community of Gressenhall will benefit. Parents will be relieved of ferrying their children mainly by car to other attractions. The Children will benefit as it will provide a place to meet, socialise with their peers and reduce mental health issues. 

The project is a capital investment that should provide accessible and inclusive play facilities for the next 20 years.

In addition to the grants we have already received we have applied for another £15k Grant - this time from Sport England who have agreed to fund us with a £7.5K Grant if we as a community can match this which we are very excited to do with the following activities which currently include...

Fun Day on the Site of the play park

August 11th

August 11th Fun Day on the Site of the play park supported by the Social Club was a sensational success on a glorious afternoon with so much fun for all the family and 100’s of happy visitors from across the local community joining in and learning more about the Play Park. Our young people are thrilled by our efforts and progress. 

Updates to follow on monies raised!

We raised well over a £1000 at the Fun Day and look set to over achieve our £3K target on the Big September Sports Raffle which is being drawn August 30th at the White Swan Community Pub at 6.30pm - there are still tickets available so please donate or buy a ticket below - details on the site. We also have tickets for cash sales available at the Pub! So hurry whilst tickets last! A huge thank you to the 100’s of people in our community who are individually supported us with donations, tickets purchases and hard earnt cash to help the completion of our Gressenhall Children’s Play Park. 

We have been overwhelmed with the generosity and commitment of our residents and local families as you give what you can for this important Mission which binds us more powerfully together as a community around our Children and Play. With our upcoming Dog Show September 22nd and the Halloween Party October 27th we look forward to your ongoing support in whatever way you feel most comfortable via the CrowdFunding Dedicated Gressenhall Play Park website or your cash donations - in such a small community we are privileged and humbled to have hundreds of individual donars pledging money and support.

Big September Sports Raffle

August 30th

STOP PRESS !

The Draw for the Raffle will be at 6.30 Friday Evening 30th August at the White Swan Community Pub - with a big surprise host to make the draw more to come …. So Watch this Space

If you have not bought a ticket yet you can 

• By online by putting your smart phone camera over the QR Code below and tapping the link to buy 
• Louise Howells and Steve Whitman have physical tickets and are available for interested buyers 
• At the White Swan Pub we have physical tickets to buy 
• Going onto our Play Park Crowd Sourcing Page and buying a ticket by using the button below

Fun Dog Show

Sunday, Sep 22 at Gressenhall Playing Field

• Proceeds for the Children’s Play Park
• Many classes for all your wonderful dogs
• Head Judge Ashley from Ashley Animals
• Sponsors being signed as you read

Halloween Party at Gressenhall Park

October 27th
  

A huge thank you to the 100’s of people in our community who are individually supported the Fun Day and are supporting the Big September Sports Raffle (to be drawn August 30th at the White Swan Community Pub) with donations, tickets purchases and hard earnt cash to help the completion of our Gressenhall Children’s Play Park. We have been overwhelmed with the generosity and commitment of our residents and local families as you give what you can for this important Mission which binds us more powerfully together as a community around our Children and Play.

With our upcoming Dog Show September 22nd and the Halloween Party October 27th we look forward to your ongoing support in whatever way you feel most comfortable via the CrowdFunding Dedicated Gressenhall Play Park website or your cash donations - in such a small community we are privileged and humbled to have hundreds of individual donars pledging money and support
 

We have also applied for a £5k Grant from Breckland Council under their Inspiring Communities Scheme and Councillor Roger Atterwill kindly wrote a letter of support as our Sponsor, we received a response that our request is being considered. 

We have a Play Park Fund Raising meeting monthly, the first Thursday of each month at the White Swan Pub as we continue our community fund raising efforts (another £30k to £35k to go and we welcome all volunteers to help us create this great facility for our children and grandchildren. 

We have continued our liaison with Norfolk Police and met with Sergeant Peter Fuller from the police authority who advises on preventing Anti Social Behaviour who has written in support of our Play Park and continues to give great advise and input to design anti social behaviour out of our new play park

MUGA & Play Equipment

All-Weather Sports Pitch
To supply and install a 13m x 24m all-weather inclusive MUGA with tarmac surfacing.

Specification:

• 13m x 24m pitch size
• 3m x 1m (deep) x 2m (high) recessed goal with 3m x 1m overgoal Duex 868 rebound panel
• Basketball Hoop with backboard
• 5m x 3m (high) Duex 868 rebound panel either side of goal
• 22.5m x 1.2m high side fence with spectator rail
• 2x 1.2m wide x 1.2m (high) Pedestrian Gate
• Galvanised and powder coated green steel work
• Pin kerb edging
• 2-layer 60mm bitmac surface
• Simple Line Markings

Inclusive Play Equipment

Roundabout

• 2m (diameter) DDA Compliant All-inclusive Wheelchair Accessible Roundabout
• Powder Coated Steel Roundabout with non-slip checkerplate floor with flush-floor-fitting for easy.
• Access for wheelchairs
• For installation into existing play area
• Safety Surface - Prep site and lay 36sqm of 40mm depth black Wet-pour around Wheelchair
• Accessible Roundabout

Special Needs Swing

• 2-Position Single Bay Swing Frame & Long Life Steel Ground Anchors
• 1x Commercial Moulded Plastic Special Needs Seat
• Safety Surface - Softbond under Special Needs Swing
• Cradle Swings - Supply and lay 40mm depth Softbond under Flat & Cradle Swings Nest Swing
• Supply and lay 40mm depth Softbond under Nest Swing

Slide

• Safagrass Matting under slide on mound - estimate. 4.5m x 7.0m

Play Equipment

• 30m Zip-Wire
• Safety Surface - Ecobond under Zip-wire
• Log Pile Climber 2 Special
• Bespoke Log Pile Climber 2 to fit space complete with Monkey Bar Grips
• Safety Surface - Softbond under Log Pile Climber 2
  
  

Inclusive Play Equipment

• Inclusive 3-Piece Play Panel Station
• Tumble Ball Cog Play Panel
• 4-in-a-row Game Play Panel
• Pinball Play Panel
• Set on timber posts
• For installation into existing play area
• Removal of old Play Quest climber and disposal off site.
• Soil to be moved to bottom of field for bike track landscaping by others.

Miscellaneous

• Site Security
• Hire of Heras Fencing
• Independent Post Installation Inspection

It is so exciting to receive a conditional grant from Sport England - conditional on us raising £7.5K to match their gift, So please join us at our events and donate generously to our Children's Play Park.