Vote For Copley Close!

Local playground could get a £15,000 makeover

Copley Close Playground in W7 is in with the chance of winning a £15,000 makeover after being picked from over 1000 entries in a national competition.

The Parents for Playgrounds campaign was launched in February by Robinsons Fruit Shoot and Copley Close is one of only 20 playgrounds to make the final shortlist. 

Local mum, Jackie Sears from Ealing, who nominated the playground, says: “I’m so excited that our local playground has been shortlisted to receive the bursary. My kids love playing outside, but at the moment our local playground is looking very tired and run down. The Parents for Playgrounds campaign is a great idea.

'' If our playground receives the £15,000 bursary it would make such a difference to our community by giving our children a fun and stimulating place to play.”

Parents in Ealing now have one month to canvas for as many votes as possible for Copley Close on www.readyforten.com, in order to ensure that it becomes one of the top five winning playgrounds.

At the end of April 2011, the playgrounds which have received the most votes will be announced and then renovated throughout May, June and July, so that they are ready for play at the beginning of the summer holidays.

Celebrity mum of two, Patsy Kensit, who is backing the campaign, says: “I know how much my boys enjoyed going to the playground and it would be such a shame if future generations of kids weren’t able to experience the same enjoyment because the tradition of outdoor play had disappeared completely.

''That is why it has been great to see so many mums and dads get behind the campaign and recognise how important outdoor play is for their children. It has been tough deciding the shortlist, particularly because we have received so many deserving nominations, but now it is up to the public to get voting for their favourites.’”

The campaign is also backed by Play England, the national organisation which aims for all children in England to have the freedom and space to play throughout childhood. Amy Little, Campaigns Manager at Play England says;

“As well as being the fun part of childhood, our research shows that outdoor play is important for children’s social, emotional, intellectual and physical development, so it is vital that we continue to invest in children’s play. We hope that Parents for Playgrounds will inspire local parents and the wider community to rally behind the places where their children play, to sustain them into the future. We look forward to working with the winning five communities.”

March 28th 2011