Following two rounds of funding, the Hamilton Drive playground has been updated twice, over the past couple of years seeing the installation of a climbing fort with slide, a zip wire and an accessible roundabout and swing.
Funding the playground updates
In 2017, West Bank Park was granted a a £17,000 playground development grant from York City Council and then received a further £9,000 from the Holgate ward committee. This was very exciting and the Friends of West Bank Park got straight on to working towards giving the children’s play area a much needed revamp!
The Friends of West Bank Park undertook an initial consultation with the public to find out what people wanted the money to be spent on. The results of the nearly 400 responses to the public survey were analysed and a brief was put together and submitted to the council.
Playground equipment is notoriously expensive, so the Friends decided to focus on just two things this year: a big climber with lots to do for a wide age range, and a vehicle to replace the ‘truck’ that used to generate such a lot of imaginative play among younger children. After public consultation and some playground equipment companies providing briefs which were then voted on by local people, a wooden fort and a train slide were chosen.
The playground equipment was successfully installed in February 2018 and was received with great joy and excitement by the local children and their families.
In 2018, our application to the Aviva Community Fund was successful and we secured a £25,000 bursary to add exciting new equipment. The playground equipment was installed in 2020, during the first Pandemic Lockdown so was sadly unused for some time. Since the guidelines stated that playgrounds could open, the exciting new equipment has bought much needed joy to local children.
The playground has been busier than ever and it’s wonderful to see the children enjoying all new the play equipment at last!
West Bank Park 