The new playground is on its way…

Congratulations to the hard-working team behind the Wanstead Playground Association which has both placed the orders for new equipment AND been honoured by the Mayor of Redbridge for their good work.

The team were given the Award for Community Champions in a ceremony on Wednesday.

We've just won the Mayor of Redbridge's Award for Community Champions! pic.twitter.com/tX7syaKVi0

— Wanstead Playground (@WansteadPlay) March 16, 2016

Having successfully raised £103,000, the orders have been placed with suppliers and the new playground should be available for actual play by the end of the May half-term holiday (weather permitting).

This is a plan of the new layout (click or tap for higher resolution), with individual items of apparatus below.

If anyone deserves the accolade of receiving the Wanstead is Made in Wanstead award, it’s these redoubtable campaigners. Ladies, and all who have supported you, you have helped make Wanstead.

UPDATE: The Mayor of Redbridge, Councillor Barbara White, said: 

“The Wanstead Playground Association (WPA) was set up by local parents to refurbish the very tired playground equipment at the playground on Christ Church Green. In spite of funding cuts, this group has ploughed tirelessly on and has raised almost £50,000 to date through their hard work and community spirit in order to create a new playground for local children. The WPA are an example to us all and an asset to the residents in the east of the Borough; proof positive that community spirit is still very much alive in Redbridge and is working to make the Borough a better place for us all.”

“Our playground has desperately been in need of being updated for many years. Thanks to this amazing group of parents who will make this happen for our children and many more generations to come. I thinks it’s fantastic how much time they have all put in, as they also have young families and jobs. It’s great to see our community pull together and raise this amount of money.”

“They deserve this award for working so hard with the community to bring everyone together and make this a better, more inclusive place. On everyone’s behalf, making Wanstead an even more lovely place to visit, bringing more business to the local area and making it somewhere our children will be proud of!”