A new play area which pays homage to the heritage of the surrounding parkland was officially opened this morning.
The new £200,000 children’s play area at Gedling Country Park has been provided by Gedling Borough Council and incorporate the park’s mining heritage with a rustic mining tower, mining train and ‘old pit’ grasslandsensuring the history of the park is remembered for years to come.
The park includes a toddler area celebrating Gedling Colliery Station and lagoons, complete with swings, slides and wheelchair accessible roundabout.
A junior area showcases the ‘old pit’ and Gedling Grasslands with a 7 metre rustic mining tower at its heart with slides, sculptures and granite “coal effect” boulders and a teen area which celebrates the park’s wild woodland habitat, features a zip wire and adventurous climbing area.
The park has been part-funded by the council who provided £150,000 alongside a grant from WREN’S FCC Community Action Fund, who put up £50,000 after a successful joint bid for funding by the Friends of Gedling Country Park group.
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WREN is a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community, conservation and heritage projects from funds donated by FCC Environment through the Landfill Communities Fund.
Adam Dickerson, Sales Manager for Proludic, the firm who constructed the new play area, said: “Everyone at Proludic has been extremely excited to work on a project so close to our offices and that our children will also play on.
“From the initial concept sketch designs completed by our Landscape Architect through the whole build process we have endeavoured to create a space that not only has a tangible link to the heritage of Gedling Country Park but does so in a sympathetic way to the surrounding environment.
“The finished site is a huge asset not only to the surrounding community but will also attract visitors from the whole of Nottinghamshire.”
Leader of the Council, Councillor John Clarke believes the park will be a real asset for families in the area.
He said: “We are very proud to be providing our residents with this excellent play area that children will enjoy for many years to come.
“It will make what is already a destination Country Park even better and puts us firmly on the map.
“The work that the Friends of group have done to secure funding alongside the £150,000 that we’ve invested has ensured that this park will bring families from far and wide and we couldn’t be happier with it.”
