Playscape – Important for Everyone? We spent a glorious day on the beach last month and I was reminded just how engaging the natural world is for children. We know in our hearts we feel better from being outside and research shows that it is crucial for physical and mental well-being too. George Monbiot nicely…

Work Continues! Playscape and the SSYI took the opportunity over the Easter break to do some remedial work in the copse. Thanks to Keira, Marlon and Zac there is a new (sturdier!) willow and hazel hurdle. If you take any budding den builders down to the copse please encourage them to use sticks that are…

A wonderful bonus of joining Playscape has been meeting all sorts of people in the Village.   Take Ollie O’Meakin, the Romsey Mill and SSYI Youth Worker. He has championed the Playscape cause at every step and initiated our successful Copse Project partnership. Ollie also nominated us for the South Cambs Community Awards 2018 and…

Recipe for a New Playscape Ingredients 1 dozen committee members 2 dozen public consultations 1 x It’s a knockout extravaganza A dusting of abseilers 400 fun runners A generous outpouring of donations Mix it all together, let it rise for a month or two whilst we wait for planning permission and then ice with final…

Playscape: Down by the River Have you seen the new bridge? Thanks to the South Cambs Community chest (and the hardy builders who installed the bridge at the end of December!) you can now cross the ditch with ease. The stepping stones have also been installed, courtesy of the Co-op grant, and given that the…

PLAYSCAPE IN 2018 With over £60,000 raised to date 2018 could be Playscape’s year! The planting plan is ready and the surface water management plan commissioned for us to apply for planning permission. Once the plans have been approved we can go out to tender and apply for the large local grants to get phase…

Playscape & SSYI Dig for Spring Colour On the last Saturday of half-term we met to plant 500 bluebell bulbs in the copse and a range of native plants. Primroses, Wood Sage, Hairy St John’s Wort and Wild Garlic were planted amongst the bluebells and hedgerow plants such as Betony, Red Campion and Upright Hedge…

Shelford Fun Run chases down £5500 for Playscape! By Sunday 17th September over 380 runners had registered for the 5km and as the clock struck 11 they were off! There is something rather uplifting about being applauded by spectators as you embark on your first 5km run (I was the tail “runner” and was very…

How you’re helping to build this Playscape! Thank you to all those who supported the Shelford Fun Run in September, we’re on the way to making this exciting design a reality! I’m writing this before the event, but in the knowledge that we have dozens of cakes being baked, 35 volunteers raring to help marshall…

Latest Playscape News – More Funding! We were delighted to discover that the local Parochial Charities have awarded us a grant of £5000 towards the project. We are now just an estimated £30k away from applying for the big grants for phases 2 & 3 (new pedestrian entrance, the car park extension and the top…