Friday 7 August 2009

A Great day out in Crow Wood!

Yesterday, Groundwork staff had a fantastic day at Lyme Park consulting with students of Dovestones College in Tameside. The four students, Michaela, Sarah, Leanne and Gareth, took part in a wildlife trail through the woodland, which included following clues to find the hidden animals and completing art activities such as tree-rubbings and sketches.

It was really useful to see the students enjoying the natural environment. Sarah was particularly keen on drawing trees and leaves; Leanne really enjoyed taking rubbings from a large oak tree; Gareth loved throwing pebbles into the stream and Michaela enjoyed collecting clovers with their heart-shaped leaves.

Seeing these young people interacting in the woodland environment gaves us plenty of ideas for adding little details to the Playscape design to encourage users to take the time to appreciate the sights, sounds and smells of a woodland location.

The students were really enthusiastic about the plans for the Crow Wood Playscape - favourite features included the climbing logs, which they thought were scary, the slide and treehouse. They also liked the idea of having picnics in the seating areas.


Wednesday 5 August 2009

Latest Progress!

On 29th July Groundwork staff were out and about at Lyme Park asking visitors what they thought of the new designs. The results so far are really positive - the playscape approach is one that seems to be popular with parents and children alike!

Post-design consultation will continue on 6th August - we will be working with students of Dovestones College, to focus on the playscape's accessibility. We want to ensure that the design caters for children and adults of all abilities, so will be holding a series of activities with the young adults and asking them if they like the designs and think that they are cater well for their needs.

We have also invited local families with disabled children to take part in these activities.

If you are interested in joining us on the 6th or at future events, then please contact Katherine Stanier on 01606 723172