Brighter Better Playground Equipment for Ceredigion Children
Playforce, the UK’s premier provider of school playground equipment, has won a contract to fit timber trails and activity zones at eight Welsh schools based on the high quality of the products it produces and the service it provides.
The Wiltshire-based company has already installed outdoor playground equipment designed to stretch the minds and bodies of pupils at four primary schools in Ceredigion and four more schools in the area should have their new outdoor playgrounds by Christmas.
Playforce beat stiff competition from five other companies to win the contract. Principal Education Officer for Ceredigion LEA, Ian Davies, said everyone involved is delighted with the results.
“Everyone is so pleased,” said Mr Davies. “It was the first time this LEA has done anything like this. It all looked great on paper but the end result is even better. I had to visit one of the schools included in the project – Gymraeg in Aberystwyth – on another matter just after their playground equipment was installed and it was clear to see just how happy it had made both pupils and staff.”
Money to pay for the eight installations came principally from a Big Lottery Fund grant as part of the New Opportunities Fund for PE and Sport in Schools in Wales and Playground Improvement for Primary Schools. The LEA and each school involved in the project also contributed to the cost.
Initially money was provided for four schools, but the results were so positive that Ceredigion CC went back to the Big Lottery Fund and secured extra money to install playground equipment at four more schools.
Each of the newly installed outdoor playgrounds at Gymraeg Primary School, Penrhyncoch Primary School and Llywyn-yr-Eos in Aberystwyth, and Aberporth Primary School in Dyfed has a low level timber trail to test the children’s physical skills including: balance beams, swinging logs, rubber step posts, rope bridges, rope bridges and climbing walls.
“Feedback from the first four schools has been fantastic and the schools waiting for their installations are very excited,” said Chartered Surveyor for Ceredigion CC, Steve Wilson, who is overseeing the project.
“It’s excellent, we are really pleased,” said Clive Williams, head teacher of Gymraeg Primary School.
“The playground equipment has really improved exercise opportunities for the children at play times, but we’ve also noticed it’s improved their social skills as well.”
Head teacher of Penrhyncoch Primary School, Emyr Pugh-Evans agreed with Mr Williams.
“The new outdoor play equipment has added an extra dimension to playtimes and surprisingly it has encouraged team-work, co-operation and problem solving amongst the children,” he said. “We’d like to have more Playforce playground equipment.”
