Works start to update play facilities at Portswood Recreation Ground, Southampton
Wednesday 28 January 2015
28 January 2015
Work starts today (28th Jan 2015) on play area improvements at Portswood Recreation Ground, Southampton.
Southampton City Council and The Friends of Portswood Rec are today celebrating the news that they have received a £35,000 funding boost from SITA Trust for the Ability Play Project.
The ‘Ability Play Project’ aims to build upon recent access improvements made to Portswood Recreation ground by the Friends of Portswood Rec working with Southampton City Council and Groundwork South. The project furthers the group’s vision to see the site transformed to a park that is inclusive and accessible for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy.
The SITA Trust funding boost has enabled work to begin on the ‘Ability Play Project’ and will see a 30 year old, worn out play ship replaced with a safer, more inclusive structure, and the addition of a variety of new items including a roundabout and basket swing, increasing the play provision across a wider age range. All of the new equipment will comply with the guidelines of the Disability Discrimination Act 2010 and will offer all youngsters of all ages and abilities the chance to participate in outdoor recreation together, enjoying the health and green gym benefits that result from using public parks.
Portswood as a ward within Southampton suffers from deprivation, with a high percentage of individuals classified as being disabled and many residents living in accommodation without gardens. These two factors combined create a very high need for the project.
Beverley Pearce, Treasurer for the Friends of Portswood Rec group who are leading the project said “We appreciate how oversubscribed SITA Trust always are for their funding and are therefore especially thrilled that they have chosen to support our Ability Play Project. Government and council cutbacks, mean funding from organisations such as SITA Trust is becoming increasingly vital for groups like ours to work with the local community to make a difference in our area.
Portswood Rec is a really popular, busy park, largely due to its proximity to the local school and playgroup. However, the current economic climate has meant the local council has limited funds to repair or replace broken equipment, and over the years many items have had to be removed from the park for safety reasons.
The award of this funding is the culmination of over a years work for the group, consulting with park users and children at local schools to put this project together. We are so pleased that with the support from SITA, Southampton City Council and Groundwork South, work can now begin to install a range of exciting new equipment, reinvigorating the space and transforming it to a vibrant play area.”
Jools Granville of SITA Trust added “This is an exemplary project involving real partnershoips between the community, volunteers, local authority and experts on play. It will lead to a fantastic play facility that will be enjoyed for years to come. We are delighted to have been able to support this project through the Landfill Communities Fund.”
SITA Trust provides grants through the Landfill Communities Fund. This important source of funding has been available since 1997 and has provided such worthy projects with more than £1.3 billion.
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Notes to the editor
For information on how to apply for funding from SITA Trust call (01454) 262910 or visit www.sitatrust.org.uk
SITA Trust
SITA Trust is an independent funding body set up in 1997 to provide funding through the Landfill Communities Fund. To date SITA Trust has supported more than 3,600 projects to a combined value of over £100 million.
Enhancing Communities - SITA Trust funding enhances communities in England, Scotland and Wales by supporting community driven projects to improve vital public recreation facilities such as village halls, community centres, sport, heritage, green spaces and play areas.
Enriching Nature - SITA Trust funding enriches nature by supporting biodiversity conservation projects in England and Wales
Landfill Tax and the Landfill Communities Fund
SITA Trust receives its funding through HM Government’s Landfill Communities Fund. Funding is donated by SITA UK, one of the nation’s leading recycling and resource management companies.
Any rubbish that is thrown away and cannot be reused ends up in a landfill site. Operators of landfill sites collect tax on each tonne of landfill for HM Treasury. The purpose of this tax is to make it more expensive to put waste into landfill, in turn encouraging us to reduce our waste and recycle more.
A small proportion of this tax can be used to support a wide range of environmental projects near landfill sites, through the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF). Through the LCF over £1.3 billion has been invested in UK projects. SITA Trust is part of the LCF, which is regulated on behalf of HM Government’s Revenue & Customs by ENTRUST. For further information, please visit www.entrust.org.uk.
For media enquiries about SITA Trust please contact our team on 01454 262910 or email communications@sitatrust.org.uk
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