There’s new life in the old site

Picture the scene, a young woman revisits the local village play area with her five year old son, a special place she used to enjoy when she was a child.  Looking forward to sharing her memories and watching her son play on that same equipment in the quiet setting of Sproughton in Ipswich, Andrea Wedgwood was sadly disappointed. Unfortunately, the area had become rather neglected, and was no longer that idyllic place she remembered so well.

Stirred into action by the sorry state of the play area, Andrea decided she would run the London Marathon and contribute all the funds raised towards the regeneration of her much loved playground.  All the original equipment, supplied and installed by Wicksteed Leisure some 50 years earlier, was in need of some tlc so Andrea approached the Northamptonshire-based company to talk about her vision, and see if the equipment could be refurbished and added to. No problem at all.

Together with funding from Lottery Funded Awards for All, Suffolk ACRE, Sproughton Parish Council, the Sproughton Playing Field Committee, Marks & Spencer Ipswich store, county councillor, Kathy Pollard, and Rosalind Lavington, plus monies raised by Andrea’s marathon feat, the dream of the new play area was going to become a reality.

The newly rejuvenated site was opened officially on Wednesday October 31st and was attended by the residents of Sproughton and members of both the Sproughton Parish Council and Playing Field Committee who’s Chairperson, Colin Davis, gave a speech.

Andrea is so delighted that everything has finally come together since her first vision last year, “I was at the play area yesterday and everything is nearly completed.  I can’t wait to see the children - whose little faces are constantly peering over the fencing as their new playground unfolds – really enjoy the space once again.”  Andrea wants to praise everyone involved in the project and is particularly grateful that, thanks to the available funds, Wicksteed was able to bring her memories back to life, and create new ones, too, for her son and others to enjoy for many more years.

Learn more about Wicksteed Leisure visit:   www.wicksteed.co.uk

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