A reminder...

...as to why we are doing this again.

I was just flicking through some old photos and noticed these taken a couple of years ago in Buxton Pavilion Gardens. Kids love roundabouts. I noticed that they were very popular in our questionnaire replies and now I can see why.

At the moment in Bamford play area, there is only the fort which would keep 4 kids of differing ages entertained and interacting with each other and even that needs a fair bit of work doing to it. Hopefully, if we're sucessful, we'll be be able to provide good new stuff for the children so they don't have to be driven here there and everywhere just to have a bit of fun!

(And our roundabout will be able to be used by children in wheelchairs too!)


Fingers crossed.

What's new?

Well, just because it's Christmas, we haven't been slacking! We managed to get our tender brief out to 4 contractors last week and 2 members of the committee met up with the first of them down on the Rec this very morning. We've set out clearly in our brief what we want from the sucessful contractor and expect to meet them all to explain it in more detail as well.

Then, when they have had chance to work up their plans and costings, we've asked for formal quotes to be returned to us by the beginning of February. These will be opened on the same day and we'll select a winner then.

Although price will obviously be a very important aspect of the selection process, we're also going to take into account design and quality. There's no point in going for the cheapest if the equipment is rubbish and the design boring. We don't want to have to do all this again in a hurry!!

Then comes the planning application.....doom doom...... but let's not think about that now!

We hope you all have a very merry Christmas and let's all hope for a happy (and playful) New Year!!

Making progress.

Well, we met up with our Facilitator on Monday afternoon (she's called Janice). It was a freezing cold afternoon but she braved the Rec and had a good poke around the play area (not that there is much to see!). After that we repaired to a warm kitchen for tea, biscuits and strategy.

It appears that, as we are not quite a Project "ready to go", as we need but do not have planning permission, we fall into a different and slightly more advantageous bracket. We are officially, a Development Project! This means that we have up to a year to resolve all the issues and get our Stage 2 Groundwork Uk and National Lottery application in rather than the 6 months we had originally thought.

It also means that there are a few extra funding streams we can tap into to help us get the play area off the ground. For example, we can claim for professional fees and for planning fees. This is a great help and means that we will not have to reduce our wish list for the actual play equipment which is, after all, the main point.

Re timing, we are still committed to getting the application in as quickly as possible but I think we were all a bit daunted by having to:

• Send our a tender brief and select a contractor
• Apply for and obtain planning permission
• Satisfy the requirements regarding title to the play area
• Satisfy the requirements regarding the group's constitution
• Satisfy the requirements regarding evidencing public support etc

All within 6 months. We could have done it but it's nice to know that we have a little wriggle room.

So, having been through our plan and where we are up to with Janice, it was decided that our next step is to focus on refining the Tender Brief and getting it out to our 3 most likely/favoured contractors for competitive quotes. Once this is done we can then concentrate on obtaining planning and the rest of the requirement safe in the knowledge of what our final play area will look like.

We're having another meeting on Monday to finalise this step and then we might take a wee break for Christmas and New Year!

Comments 2

I've just extracted some more comments from our questionnaires for your delectation:

"We would go much more frequently and meet friends."

"I think the equipment is dated. My child cut himself on the rusty horse."

"We would use it more rather than driving to Hathersage."

"As a local childminder, I need places for children to play and be safe."

"Would attract people to Bamford. Good for local business."

"An improved play area would be used more often. Great for social interaction."

"I would like to take my grandchildren but at the moment I would be very worried about the safety of the equipment."

"Would improve quality of life by travelling less."

"Better equipment for toddlers."

"The children would enjoy playing on new equipment as there is a limited choice at present."

"Needs better climbing equipment and something for older children."

"We need a better environment to take friends."


Well, I hope you enjoyed those. I certainly enjoyed picking the different colours out! They're not made up, by the way. The people have spoken and we will try to deliver!

Things are moving fast....can we keep up?!

We attended the monthly committee meeting of the Bamford Rec committee last night as we had much to report. Obviously they were thrilled to hear the news that we have passed Stage 1. Probably a little less pleased when I explained about some of the hoops we have to jump through to get ready for Stage 2. But, to their credit, they were unfailingly supportive and helpful.

It's a great weight off our minds to know that we can proceed with Stage 2 as a sub-committee of the Bamford Rec Committee itself. This sounds like a technicality but it has saved us literally dozens of hours of work in setting up a totally new group and obtaining charitable status, bank accounts etc and then trying to sort of the legal position regarding ownership and use of the play area.

Really, you wouldn't think that a few swings climbing frames would be girded by such mighty concepts as constitutions and committees and legal titles....sigh.....

Anyway, before I descend into grumpiness I thought you might like to see some of the comments we received on the questionnaires which were returned to us in the summer. They serve to remind us why we're doing this and how important it is for the whole village.

"I feel local children are missing out on a valuable resource."

"Safety standards are very poor on equipment and the ground surface is inadequate."

"I do not feel it is safe or secure. Gates need fixing to stop dogs entering." [Stop Press: the gates have now been fixed by our Great Leader's husband....thanks Nigel...]

"A few people have time and energy trying to raise awareness and much needed funds for this project and I feel they deserve some help if they are to suceed."

"Bamford really needs a better play area for children. it will increase community spirit and childrens' freedom."

"New equipment has long been needed. The climbing frame is rusty and has holes where children could cut their fingers."

"Our kids would love to go there more. It is a great place to meet up with other families. needs urgent attention!"


So - I think you get the picture. We're trying and help is slowly creeping out of the woodwork too. Watch this space.

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Meet your Committee

No names or anything as this is the big bad t'internet but I thought you might like to see what we look like. I'm the one at the back. Here we are on a Friday evening in the local pub, slaving away with proposals and correspondence. Don't it make your heart go all warm and fuzzy?!

So, our next step is to meet with the Bamford Rec Committee on Monday evening to report how we've got on so far and let them know what will be needed over the next few months. We will need their help as the play area is sited on the Rec.

After that, we have to obtain 3 formal quotes for the work, planning permission (grrr, we had hoped this wouldn't be necessary), fulfil various other technical requirements for the Stage 2 Application and, all the time, hope that we receive the funding in the end. Yikes.

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Questionnaires

Or, to put it another way - how do we know what everyone wants? How do we know that something needs to be done at all?!



Well, as to the latter, I think the pictures I put up in my first couple of posts will satisfy you that something needs to be done. But what?



To this end, as we don't want to be accused of being blinkered or exclusive, the Committee circulated a hundred or so Questionnaires and a Petition widely round the village and surrounding area to try to garner support for redevelopment of the play area as well as ideas as to what it should look like.



We asked the following questions:

1. How often do you use the play area?


2. Would you use it more often if it was improved?


3. How safe do you feel the current playground is and do you have any suggestions to improve safety?


4. What new play equipment would you like to see on the play area?


5. Do you use other play areas and, if so, how do you get there?


6. Would a new improved play area on the Bamford Recreation Ground benefit you, your family and friends or business and, if so, how?


7. Any other comments?

We recieved 50 replies to the Questionnaire, which is not bad going considering the size of the village and the fact that not everyone has any connection to children. (I know exactly 50 replies seems a little dodgy but that's the number, I just recounted them!) The comments were wide ranging and mostly helpful (if occasionally a little unrealistic - we're not made of money!!) and I'll try and summarise the main themes over this and some later posts.

To the question regarding what sort of equipment people would like to see, the results were as follows:

• Roundabout - 19
• Climbing frame - 26
• Toddler equipment/small slide/swings/disabled - 11
• Adventure Trail/Obstacle course - 7
• Sit on spring seats/rockers - 6
• Zip wire - 8
• Moving horse - 3
• Better slide - 5
• Tunnels - 3
• Sand pit - 4
• New see-saw - 2
• New ground bark - 2

I've listed above all the items which received more than one vote. There were loads of other suggestions and I'll list them sepaprately but I want to get this entry posted so you'll have to wait with bated breath for that!

Bye for now and wish us luck!

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The Stage 2 slog begins

We had a meeting of our committee last night to go through all the things which have to be sorted before we can submit the Stage 2 application to the Big Lottery Fund. Wow! There is MASSES to get through. Luckily, there are 5 of us and 4 of us are mothers so automatically fall into the "Superwoman" category....I just sneak in by default. Only joking. There is a LOT to do but it will be worthwhile.

Our Great Leader (Helen from here on in...she prefers Great Leader but it takes too long to type) has prepared a letter to the Parish News to let everyone know how we are getting on and update them on the project. For those of you who don't read the Parish News, here it is:

"Bamford Play Area Improvement Plan

Firstly, a massive "Thank You!" to everyone who has helped with repairs and maintenance of the play area, including Lefarge for their donation of £400, Harry Beckett, Bill Thorp, Neil Deakin, Nigel Eyre, Simon Pill and Mark Wood. Without the work they have carried out for us, the play area would probably have been closed by now due to Health & Safety concerns.

Thank you also to Paul Towers and Mark Wood for mowing the grass.

We would also like to thank Sue Beckett and the Bamford with Thornhill Recreation Ground Committee for their continued support of our project.

So far we have raised over £18,000 and would like to thank Mr S Sampson, Bamford Parochial Church Council, Bamford WI, Bamford Parish Council, Sir Hugh and Lady Sykes and the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire Charitable Trust in reaching this total. A specially big thank you to the ladies of West Lees Road for all their hard work and everyone else who helped with the clothes sale, including Joan Carrington's granddaughters, Rachel and Sarah, who very kindly sent us some lovely clothes to sell along with £600 they raised by running a race.

The great news is that we received Stage 1 Approval for a grant from the Groundwork Uk Community Spaces and Big Lottery Fund. So thank you very much to all of you who filled in our questionnaires and signed the petition which helped us with planning our project and showed the necessary community support for our application.

It would really help if you can all support us further with Stage 2 of the Lottery application by logging onto http://www.friendsofbamfordplayarea.blogspot.com/, and leave comments, pass on ideas, ask questions or voice any concerns. All fundraising ideas or advice always welcome.

Or, if you would prefer, you can contact us by phone:

[I'm not going to put phone numbers onto the web of course but if you contact me by email through the blog, I'll be happy to redirect you]

Thank you for your continued support."

So, that's all as clear as mud. Check in again soon as I reckon things are going to progress pretty quickly now that we've reached this stage. Fingers crossed please.

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Good news!!

I will have to keep this quick as I'm going out but I wanted to report the good news:

Our application to the Big Lottery has passed the first stage. We now progress to the more detailed phase. We have a "Facilitator" allocated to us to review our proposals and have to complete a more complicated application form and provide evidence of community support and all sorts.

This is where it gets serious!

It''s still brilliant news though....

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I'd like to thank my agent....sob

No really. The Committee have asked me to post an entry on the blog thanking everyone who has put such a lot of effort into keeping the playground going over the last few years. Without their efforts, giving up precious time and materials, the few pieces of equipment we have left would have given up the ghost too.

In particular, the fort, which is staying even when (if!) we raise the funds for the redesign, would have had to be condemned were it not for several people who gave up weekends and evenings to rebuild it. Gates have been rehung and climbing frames mended.

I don't really know all the people who have contributed so I'm wary of naming names as I'd be sure to miss someone out. But we do really appreciate the work and it has made a big difference.

Also, it shows how much the play area is appreciated by us locals. If fathers and mothers give up hard-earned leisure time, you know there must be good reason. That's why it's so important for us to get this funding so that we'll have something worth saving and locals can use the facility they have worked so hard to preserve.

So a big pat on the back to all of you - you know who you are and so do we!!

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Saturday 19th July 2008 - Bamford Carnival Day

On a very windy day in Summer our group set up a display showing the possible equipment the new play area could have. We were situated just in front of the existing play area so people could compare what we have now and what we could have in the future. We were kept very busy holding on to the display so the wind didnt blow it and us away. People of all ages got very excited about the plans and felt happy to express their disgust with the state of the existing play equipment. Lots of questionnaires were completed and offers of help greatly received.

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Horse retired from play area

After 40 years the static horse couldn't bear to watch the decline of the play area any longer. After loosening itself from it's supports it was removed from the play area on Sunday 14th September after concerns about safety. It is now waiting to be taken away by scrap metal merchants .


Only 4 items of equipment now remain in the play area.

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What we're aiming for.

The village of Padfield just outside Glossop with its Plum Festival in full swing.

Climbing frame/swing

I visited a friend over in Glossop today and we walked her kids and the dogs over to a little bvillage called Padfield to go to the Padfield Plum Festival. Now Padfield is pretty tiny as you can see from the first picture and the festival was little more than a tiny fete but it was really nice and good fun.

The Festival was held in the village green right over the childrens' playground so all the kids were playing on the play equipment. It was so full and busy that it took me a while to work out what was under the mass of bodies. When I focussed, I could see how well the new equipment worked. it was compact but interesting; therewere loads of different age groups all using the equipment; they could work together or singly; and it just looked fun and imaginative. Most parts of the frame swung or twisted in more than one direction. In fact we were able to leave my friend's son for quite a while playing with his pal and neither seemed to be bored and he has a pretty short attention span!

I suppose I was interested because it wasn't a massive public park; just a tiny village playground. There were only 4 pieces of equipment - the blue multi-purpose climbing frame and slide; a see-saw; a 4-man spring table and some swings. But, despite that, they could accommodate dozens of kids and they all seemed to be having a laugh. There is no way Bamford's curent play area could achieve that.

I hope that's what we can get if (no, when!) we get our funding. Fingers crossed!

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A beautiful setting

Some of the wildflowers on the Rec this summer

View up to Win Hill from the Rec (the play area is just to the right)

View of Bamford Mill and Bamford Edge from the gateway into the Rec (right next to the entrance to the play area)

View of Win Hill to the right and Bamford Edge to the left with the play area behind my husband (couldn't find one without him in!)

Just in case you might be bored of looking at dilapidation, I thought I'd try to put the play area into context. Above are some pictures I've taken over the years on Bamford Recreational Ground which is where the play area is sited. It's gorgeous isn't it? The scenery is simply stunning with views up to Bamford Edge one way, Win Hill another and Shatton in the other direction.

That's why this play area is really worth fighting for. There aren't many other places where locals and visitors alike can enjoy such scenery while entertaining their kids and chatting with their mates.

At the far side of the Rec is a wildlife area and it's bounded by the River Derwent. There are 2 well used football pitches and a practise area. The play area has all the natural advantages, it just needs a little long overdue help to fulfill its potential.

The Rec is the site for several annual events like Bamford Carnival in July, the Sheepdog Trials in May and various Car Shows and Mountain Bike events. I'm sure vsistors to these events must be puzzled by the juxtposition of such wonderful scenery and such dismal facilities.

That's why we're trying to do something about it!!

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The ugly truth!

A broken gate so dogs can get in and foul....nice...

A mouldy, static horse...what a thrill!

Rust, just what you need on a climbing frame...

That looks solid...

More rust....

Hi again. I looked at the photos I posted last time and thought "they don't really tell the whole story". They show a fairly dull, unspectacular playground but don't show how grotty it really is. So, I think you're ready for the warts and all pictures now... not pretty are they?



Rust, mould, rotten wood and dilapidation. Just what you want your children to playing in eh?



Well, we're not going to sit around and let those that can vote with their feet (or, more accurately, cars) and those that can't get stuck with the above.



We have a plan. It's going to make the play area safer, more exciting to play in, prettier and, hopefully, much much busier. It will cost money though. Doesn't everything? So, we've done loads of research and found out that the best place to apply for that sort of money is the Big Lottery Fund. There has been a lot of work involved in making the application but we're nearly ready to submit it.

In later posts, I'll set out some of the things we've had to do for the application and more details about what other people in the village have had to say about the play area. In the meantime, I hope some more people from our group , and in time from the wider area, will post some of their views about the play area and our quest to make it better. All comments gratefully received.

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What we are all about

Empty as usual

Note the rusty corners....

It doesn't move, nailed solid....

Also rusty, but the kids still like it.

Hello all.



We're a small group of women from the village of Bamford who have become concerned about the state of our local play area and have decided to try and do something about it.



It's privately owned, so we can't expect the Local Authority to help (although we have tried!). We're applying for Lottery funding to supplement our existing funds to completely revamp the play area.



You'll be able to see from the pictures above what we're on about! We live in a beautiful village in the middle of the Peak District National Park. The surrounding country is simply gorgeous and the play area has every natural advantage you might hope for. Yet, because it has been neglected for a long time, with only minimal repairs when absolutely necessary, usually carried out by parents for free, the play area has become dilapidated and uninspired.



Now, much of the equipment has been removed or disabled due to being unsafe. What's left is not exactly pretty or entertaining for childen and, as a result, it is underused. Now, those families who can often drive to neighbouring villages to use their play facilities.



This doesn't make sense. Village children should be able to play in their own village with their own classmates and neighbours. Those who can't drive to other, better places should not be condemned to a second class playground.



I've set up this blog but I hope that, once word gets around, anyone will be able to post their stories and photos about the play area and we can update it as we make applications for funding to improve the situation.



Wish us luck!

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