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The current village playground was completed in September 2004. In 2003 The Orston Parish Council decided to undertake a complete overhaul of the playground due to its state of disrepair. The Orston Playground Association (OPA), a registered charity ( no. 1104751 ) was established in 2003 in order to raise the substantial funds required for the project. The OPA acquired the necessary funds from WREN, The Nottinghamshire Community Fund, The Orston Parish Council, and various fundraising events. The children of The Orston Primary School were involved in selecting the play equipment. The OPA is currently comprised of residents of the village and a representative of the parish council. We aim to meet at least every 3-6 months and produce a report after our annual general meeting.
The functions of The OPA are:
1. To ensure that the playground continues to be used as a recreation and play area for local children. It is well recognised that play is vital for the physical, psychological and social development of our children.
2. To maintain the play area and equipment to a safe standard. This is achieved through an annual inspection undertaken by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA).
3. To endeavour to expand the facilities available to children. The OPA liases closely with the head teacher and the school council before making any decisions about new equipment.
The results of the survey:
There are 23 and 28 children within the age ranges 0-11 and 11-18 respectively. These children represent 20% of the village population. One fact that will not come out as part of the village survey is that 127 children attend the school. Hence the importance of the playground may be underestimated by the survey.
The playground came 5th as the most important facility within the village; 50 respondents used it and 100 felt that it was important to preserve. Let us not forget that the questionnaire was completed by adults who use the other facilities regularly, and will undoubtedly feel that these are more important to them. I suspect their children, like mine, would disagree with them. In addition the demographics of the village population will introduce an element of bias in the results. The views of the children are clearly under represented in the survey. However the survey confirms that both the school and the playground are at the heart of village life. The facilities are appreciated by children, parents and even grandparents.
Actions proposed:
The OPA currently have 2 targets
1. The addition of a suitable roundabout, possibly a Kompan Supernova Roundabout.
2. Undertake some research about the possibility of installing a basketball ring.
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