Story:Fran Belbin
Pitsmoor Adventure Playground’s summer programme was packed with activities for local families and children.
The site is looking better than ever now that the zip wire platform has been transformed into a dinosaur by local artist Patrick Amber, working alongside the children. The much missed slide was finally replaced at the start of the summer with a new “thrill slide”, and it has fully lived up to expectations! Lots of children (and quite a few adults) queued to fling themselves down the slide at its official opening by the Lord Mayor Talib Hussain during the fun day held to celebrate National Play Day on 5th August. The Lord Mayor was also on hand on 8th August to award medals to the children participating in the Pitsmoor Olympics.
Families, volunteers and staff enjoyed two visits to Cleethorpes over the summer, where they indulged in ice creams on the beach, donkey rides and all the fun of the fair. Another trip to the Peak District was the first time some of the children had experienced the countryside, with further visits planned for the future.
A range of arts projects have encouraged children to develop their musical, artistic and performance skills and complemented activities going on elsewhere in Sheffield, but with a Pitsmoor flavour! Plenty of noise was generated at “Pramlines”, a series of music workshops on Saturday mornings where the children have learned to play xylophones and percussion instruments, funded by a grant from John Lewis Music Matters. Fantastic paintings were produced during “Art in the Playground” at the beginning of September, and student Satu Pihlstrom led a theatre project that ended with a grand performance of Camelot.
Fund-raising
The charity running the playground have now taken on the lease for the site, and are busy fund-raising to secure its future. Supporters raised enough votes to win an Aviva Community Fund award which is funding four family fun days during the year; South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service have also awarded a grant to carry out community safety activities over 2015/16, with a focus on road traffic awareness and reducing road accidents. The playground has also had great support from local organisations such as Arches Housing and the Community Champion at Tesco. But fund-raising is still a high priority for the charity and a new set of swings is the next target.
The children themselves continue to do their bit to raise donations, for example by bag packing at Tesco and collecting bric-a-brac to sell. As well as fund-raising, they are involved with keeping the playground well maintained and tidy, and recently their efforts have spread to the surrounding streets, with a group of children taking it on themselves to clean up litter and fly tipping. As Playground Manager Patrick Meleady said, “They are fabulous young citizens and a credit to their families.”