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WITHIES
CLOSE COMMUNITY PLAY AREA
Proposal
Over the last 12 months WCRA have been working with the Landscape
Architect, Carly Tinkler to draw up the final design for their
play area. The scheme has been designed to cater for everyone's
needs, to include play equipment for toddlers and 5-12 year
olds, activities for teenagers, community seating areas, 3
community arts projects and landscaping. WCRA have carried
a number of community consultation and planning 4 real events
during the earlier part of this year. These  events
have given local residents the opportunity not only to see
the design but a chance to shape it. They have been able to
choose which play equipment they would like, the type of trees
they prefer and the chance to sign up to an arts workshop.
These include helping to design an ironwork community notice
board, a circular carved central seat and "tarmac painting
games".
The
association arranged a special 'planning 4 real' event in
May 2003 at the local primary school. The children enthusiastically
picked their favourite pieces of play equipment and signed
up to their chosen arts workshops. The school will incorporate
these projects into their "Arts week" at the end
of June, when the children will be able to meet with some
of the artists and discuss their ideas.
The
arts workshops will be held over the summer months and everyone
is welcome to join in, although we are told no more than 20
in each workshop. This will include working with local artists
Andrew Findlay iron worker and David Jones, wood carver, and
not so local Amanda Mathews all the way from Scotland, who
will translate the children's drawings and ideas into a reality
as she paints them onto the tarmac.
Funding
WCRA with the support of Herefordshire Housing, Herefordshire
Council and South Herefordshire Voluntary Action, have now
raised in the region of £86,000 to create this area.
Funding has been secured from the following sources to add
to that raised from bingo, raffles and fetes initially held
to raise money, which is approximately £12,000.
·Herefordshire
Council - Neighbourhood Improvement Fund, £4,571
·BBC
Children In Need appeal - £7,825
·Sport
and Arts Foundation - £5,000
·Withington
Parish Council - £3,000
·Mercia
Environmental Fund - £4,978
·Awards
For All - £4,395
·Herefordshire
Partnership, Small Projects Grant - £885
·Countryside
Agency's Doorstep Green Grant - £42,361
·Herefordshire
Housing is committing an amount towards both the creation
works and towards some community training which will help
us to look after the site once it is completed.
·Elmley
Trust - we have asked for £885 and expect a decision
in July.
When
will it happen?
Work is expected to start at the beginning of June 2003. It
is hoped that the play equipment will be installed in time
for the summer holidays so the children can play on it, but
the final bits and pieces won't be finished until the beginning
of the Autumn, with the planting to take place after that.
But by Christmas everything will be complete.
Who
will look after it?
Herefordshire Housing will maintain the area but WCRA will
be setting up a sub-group to include local residents, to keep
a watch over the site and make sure that it is kept tidy.
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