Happy New Year!
Here at Pulborough Brooks, we’re kicking off 2018 with an exciting project. Over the past year or so, part of our Wildlife Explorer Meadow has been looking rather sorry for itself since we had the old play equipment removed in 2016. After a safety inspection, the equipment was deemed unsafe and no longer fit for purpose so it was taken away, leaving a big, muddy mess in its place!
The Wildlife Explorer Meadow is a great place for families to discover the natural world. Improvements to this area have been ongoing but there are always plenty of activities to have a go at, including exploring our bug pits and using our willow hide to see which birds visit the feeders. The play area has an important role in providing a gateway for children to make connections with nature, encouraging them to enjoy fresh air and exercise. It is vital that we offer as many opportunities as possible for children to be outdoors and the play area is usually the first port of call for any visiting family before they head out to explore the rest of the reserve.
In order to build a new play area, we were going to need two vital things: a contractor and funding. We are fortunate to be working with a local company called Playsafe Playgrounds Ltd. ( https://www.playsafeplaygrounds.co.uk/ ) on this project and they have come up with a fantastic design that will blend in perfectly with the natural surroundings of the reserve while offering a mixture of climbing and balancing opportunities for children of all ages and abilities. It was important to us that the new equipment was accessible to all users, so we have made sure there are elements that are low down and can be used by parents and carers as well.
We have been working closely with our Senior Project Fundraising Officer Emma Allen over the past year in order to secure the funding we would need to bring the new play area to life. LEADER are an EU-funded rural grant programme designed to support local businesses and have generously given us a proportion of the required funding. We have also received backing from the Postcode Local Trust (funded by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery) who support projects involving play areas, green spaces, sustainable energy and supporting wildlife.
As part of this project, the path from the nature trail leading round to the picnic area will be resurfaced with tarmac. This is to ensure that the area is accessible to those with buggies and wheelchairs so that everyone can enjoy the new play equipment and make use of the Wildlife Explorer Meadow. During this time, there will be no access to the nature trail via the side gate. This gate is usually unlocked outside of the Visitor Centre opening hours but so that this vital maintenance work can be carried out, it will remain locked and cordoned off for approximately a week. The reserve can still be accessed out of hours via the public footpath that starts in the car park and the Visitor Centre and nature trail will be open as normal during this time.
The installation of the new play area is scheduled to be completed by the end of January.