Recreation ground, Oxfordshire

 

This community-lead project has regenerated the recreation ground of a small market town, creating a new social hub, and is highly regarded by local people.

 

We designed the scheme to cater for different ages and abilities, incorporating a new play area which forms the “heart” of the recreation ground, and integrates other adjacent areas including a new kick-about pitch, a refurbished basketball court, an existing skate-bowl, and a new trim trail.

 

We were involved with a comprehensive community consultation with the general public, the two local schools, and the youth club, and we used this, with the Parish Council, to compile a brief based on the results of the consultation. We then designed the scheme, including an enabling works package and new landscaping, and worked with play equipment manufacturers to design the play area portion of the scheme

 

We compiled the necessary documentation required to submit funding applications to both local sources of funding (District Council, local trusts) and national sources, including the Big Lottery (Awards For All and Playful Ideas). Our application documents to one organisation were later used to demonstrate a model application.

 

The completed project has been promoted as a landmark scheme by organisations including the Oxfordshire Association of Local Councils (OALC) and South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC).