A CARAVAN park near Haverfordwest has invested £40,000 in a new playground which is designed to help young holiday makers keep fit as well as have fun.
Assembly Member Paul Davies was there to officially open the new facility at Torbant Caravan Park in Croesgoch which was designed, manufactured and installed by outdoor play experts Creative Play.
The Chester-based family firm’s popular Trim Trail range formed the basis for the new outdoor activity area which saw a complete overhaul of the former playground which had been there for 15 years and is now a third bigger.
The range is designed to challenge youngsters’ physical, motor and social skills, and Torbant owner Stephanie Parker chose several pieces from Creative Play’s mid-range Potomac Trim Trail, including a swinging log, rope bridge and stilts.
These are arranged around the 320m square playground’s central Sherwood Tower System, incorporating two slides, a climbing ramp, crawling tube, cabin tower and two platforms, providing a multitude of options for “over, under and through” play.
There’s also a role play game included, in the shape of a car with cut out windscreen and movable steering wheel.
Also high on the agenda for the Torbant project was a basket swing to allow children with physical impairments to join in the fun.
It was all finished off with an all-weather surface in vibrant red, blue and yellow, creating different play zones and an inviting atmosphere for young holidaymakers.
There to see the first few happy, young holiday makers make the most of the new playground was Paul Davies, Welsh Assembly Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire, who said: “I was delighted to be present at the opening of the fantastic new playground at the Torbant Caravan Park in Croesgoch.
“I am sure that children of all ages will enjoy playing on this very innovative equipment, designed and installed by Creative Play. Having a range of equipment for all abilities and ages is great and I am sure will be a hit with children and their parents.”
The new playground marks a significant investment in the 90-berth caravan park which owner Stephanie Parker has had since 2003 and is managed by Jane Williams.
Stephanie said: “Our previous playground was 15 years old and we wanted to update it and also make it about a third bigger.
“It was important for us to provide something fun that the children will enjoy spending time playing on. If it also means they keep fit, then that’s great.
“We realise Mum and Dad need a holiday too, therefore we created a safe playground with plenty to do for the children. If the children are happy, then the parents are happy too.”
Stephanie added: “The basket swing was also important for us, it would be awful to think someone would come and not be able to use the playground. It’s really cool.
“We pushed the boat out for the flooring, but I think it’s a good investment, I’m very happy with how it looks.”
Also there to enjoy the official opening was Creative Play’s sales manager Tim Broster who oversaw the project.
He said: “It’s been terrific to be back for the official opening of the new playground at Torbant which will be enjoyed by lots of young holiday makers for many years to come.
“We know this has been an important investment for the caravan park and we are delighted they are so pleased with the finished result which we are confident will be a big draw for their young visitors.
“Inclusivity is very important for any playground. The basket swing was very high on the agenda at Torbant, because it means you don’t exclude children with a physical impairment.
“It’s important to cater for all ages. If you only have the more challenging equipment then you exclude younger children and vice versa.
“A simple slide or a swing doesn’t cut it any more, they are very linear activities, you go up and down a slide and that’s it, and the children have to wait their turn, whereas with this equipment there are multiple places they can get on and off, and it develops their social skills too.
“You can get 20 children on a tower system all at once doing different things, and on the Trim Trail you can get 25 children on it at a time.
“It’s about giving them a challenge and a focus, with multi access, multi exit, multi activity equipment.”
Developing children’s physical fitness and cognitive skills is an integral part of the design process at Creative Play, where a team of 100 staff see each development through from consultation, design and manufacture to installation and maintenance.
Stephanie added: “Creative Play are really good. What really impressed us is how they really do care about their customer service, they kept in touch with us and if a new piece of kit arrived they would call us and let us know.
“I would highly recommend them.
“I must also praise our manager Jane Williams for helping it all happen. She worked tremendously hard to ensure the playground project went smoothly and we are very pleased with the finished result.”
Each Creative Play playground is designed to suit the client’s specifications, depending on their budget and location.
All of Creative Play’s equipment is designed and manufactured in Chester by the company’s in house teams, who use state of the art equipment and each specialize in timber, plastic or metal. Creative Play’s own teams install all of the equipment and surfacing to meet the requirements of the client and their own rigorous quality standards.
For more information visit: www.creativeplayuk.com
