Families are key at David Lloyd Clubs, with specialist provision delivered for all ages, from babies through to retirement age. Play is a fundamental part of this, and David Lloyd were keen to promote the prestige values of their club within the play.
After seeing the quality of the Richter Spielgeräte products on site, David Lloyd were keen to strike up a relationship with Timberplay to understand more about the ethos and values of the company. Susie Malcolm, Group Family Manager at David Lloyd comments: “Rather than a standard approach to play we wanted a play partner that reflected our messages for inclusive experiences with exceptionally high standards. After seeing the way that Timberplay equipment was used we were confident they were the partner for us – offering excellent child led play provision which would appeal to and challenge children across a wide age range.”
Many of David Lloyd sites have extensive outdoor facilities, for example tennis courts and outdoor swimming pools. This meant that they could really capitalise on the outdoor space when it came to play, making the most of the height that outdoor space offers. Timberplay’s Landscape Architect team were able to work with the organisation to design a play space that appealed to the target market of 5-11 year olds. The first site that was worked upon was the Warrington site. The resulting play area included a tower with slide, climbing nets, fireman poles, bridges and a climbing wall. Platform Huts and bridges provide play more suitable for younger children.
As you can imagine this made a real impact with the Club community and the impact of the play investment was quickly shown in increased dwell time, and greater spend per head at the café.
Following on from the success of the Warrington installation, Timberplay began working on the new Bristol Club, again creating a bespoke design to fit the specifics of the site which was installed autumn 2019. Again this was very well received and spurred on the next development at Northwood, one of several David Lloyd Clubs in and around London.
Susie continues: “The Timberplay play areas are the perfect complement to David Lloyd’s facilities. Play is one of the best ways engage children in physical activity, and this provision allows children to determine their own activity and create their own adventure. The child-led play was something we were keen to embrace and the existing installations have all achieved our objectives very well. We look forward to seeing where our ongoing relationship with Timberplay will take us.“
For further information on Timberplay and how they can support your organisation please call 0114 282 3474, or take a look at www.timberplay.com.
