Where We Began
Meriden Adventure Playground was created for the community. Our survey created in early 2006 prompted us to develop our playground at the request of local community members. Use our timeline below to follow our journey of success.
Meriden Adventure Playground was created for the community. Our survey created in early 2006 prompted us to develop our playground at the request of local community members. Use our timeline below to follow our journey of success.
Resident survey identified need for a safe play area that offered variety and challenge
Lottery funding granted to create playground in Meriden Park, Chelmsley Wood and to employ three-part time playworkers to provide support and safety.
In the three years from 2007, the playground becomes a cherished community asset. The playground includes self-built climbing and swinging timber structures, a zip wire, a fire pit and a sandpit. Lottery funding expires, but Solihull MBC steps in and provides funding for staff and site maintenance.
Recognising the challenges of “austerity” on council funding, local volunteers form MAPA. MAPA raises funds and takes on more responsibility for managing the site: – Employs two Play-workers – Develops CommunityCafé. – Assists parents in financial difficulties by providing food bank vouchers, clothing and bedding. – MAPA slowly becomes a community hub.
Number of children attending annually increases into the thousands with over 1000 children registered to attend without parents’ supervision. This provides much needed support to parents as well as children MAPA gains charitable status to better secure the future of the playground. SMBC announce they will stop funding salaries in September 2017. MAPA increases their fundraising efforts and start working with SMBC to secure the future of this much loved and much-needed community asset.
Ongoing negotiations with the Council for a six year lease. A substantial award from HS2 to enable us to install two large converted shipping containers to grant us indoor space for an office, meeting/training room and gathering/activity spaces for children and young people, is on hold until the lease is agreed.
Funding from the Clothworker’s Foundation, Pockets Parks and Awards for all enabled us to do repairs and development work on site resulting in a new treehouse, the famous third tier ‘Nutter’s Platform’, a wheelchair ramp and ‘death slide’, a shelter and the reboarding of several platforms, plus the installation of a central lighting column and CCTV (thanks to Ben Purewal of E-Consulting Ltd.!)
Celebrated our first National Playday – hopefully the first of many – which was attended by 1200 people and was a huge success, and also our first Fright Night at Hallowe’en – a truly scary and hilarious event.
Helped by the Colebridge Trust, MAPA Trustees embarked on a program of strategic work, developing a budget plan and fund-raising strategy, and clarifying our aims and objectives for the next three years.