Graffham Village Playspace

Why is play so important?

Playsafe Case Studies

Another Playground update? But nothing has happened!

And that’s understandable if that’s what you’re thinking. It does look remarkably the same as it did last year. And the year before. Well - there has been a huge amount of work going on behind the scenes and with your help, a new play space could become a reality this year...

Last year a Working Group was formed last to represent families comprising Bianca Pitt, Giovanni Soffietto, Katie Donald, Russell Smithers, Serena Cooper, Sonya Gillespie, led by Rachel Gerrett and sponsored by John Bracey.

Key concepts that have been agreed are that the new space needs to cater for children of all ages, be a place that everyone is able to enjoy, should be sustainably sourced, use a local provider if possible, be aesthetically pleasing, utilise natural materials, and be an inspiring space for children to be in.

The preferred provider has been selected and is also happily very local – Based in Elsted, near Midhurst, Playsafe will be able to maintain the equipment too. They have been established for over 30 years and have undertaken various local projects, including providing most of the equipment installed at Easebourne. Playsafe utilise FSCC Robina Hardwood, from sustainably managed woodland in the UK, and have a fully permanent employed team.

But the blocker to making this all happen is funding. A huge 64 applications for grants and charitable funding have now been made over 3 years starting in 2022. Post Covid, discretionary funding has been cut and is extremely difficult to obtain. Funding that remains is frequently, and understandably targeted for distribution in less affluent areas where access to private funding is a near impossibility.

The project was assigned £20k from the Community Infrastructure Levy via the Graffham Parish Council in 2023. This is a Commercial Developer tax and one of its key intended purposes is for the provision of playspaces.

So at this stage – and having exhausted all other options we asking the community for its support. £50k is the budget needed with a broadly similar scale replacement of wany edged, wooden equipment, far more in keeping with its surroundings up to new standards, and under warranty so given the CIL funding already secured there is £30k to fundraise.

£50k may sound like a huge budget but to put this in context, Fittleworth playpark cost £100k, Easebourne £250k and both were built around 5 years ago so is quite modest by comparison. We are looking to make the budget go further by managing the manage the related expenditure down – fencing, woodchips, logs for seating, benches, groundworks, waste removal etc.

Lets all help to do something about it, and make it a place that Graffham can be really proud of.

Its easy to contribute – you've already reached our fundraising page. As a charity, we are eligible for Gift Aid – please add this if you are a UK taxpayer as this will be a big help in getting us to target sooner.

If you’d like to sponsor a particular piece of equipment either personally, or via your business we’d be delighted to make that happen. If you can help practically – again, we’d really welcome that help and it will mean more of the budget can be used on equipment.

All donations of £100 or more will be individually credited at the playpark so that when you visit the new play area, you can say “I helped to do this!”