DIY SOS: The Big Build in Southmead
It was a pleasure to be invited to help out on yet another DIY SOS project. This one close to us in Somerset too. Southmead Adventure Playground is a much loved hub for Youth Clubs and Children and Young People in the area and was in desperate need of refurbishment.
'The Ranch is the oldest Adventure Playground in Bristol and its story is not unusual. As part of a network of five Adventure Playgrounds: Felix Road, The Vench, St Pauls and the Hideout, each have suffered set-backs over the years.
Most importantly, the Council began to cut funds to play delivery in 2013 and instead to offer site leases to charitable organisations to run play services.
When The Ranch was in danger of complete closure in 2018, the Southmead Development Trust took a huge risk, with little funds, to take the lease for The Ranch and run a skeleton service. But before we could raise sufficient funds to increase sessions, the pandemic arrived and we had to close.
As we began to pick back up again last year there was a “miracle”, as Lil, one of our Playworkers describes it in the programme. One of our volunteers reached out to the DIY SOS team for help and before we knew it, it was ‘camera, lights, action’: one of their planned stories had fallen through and we were a rapid replacement.
It was incredible luck and the boost we really needed. At great speed the DIY SOS team sought donations of labour and materials, and the Trust was able to pledge funds to pay for the rest.
Our children and families poured back in last November and since then things have literally been in full-swing. Our Youth and Play Manager, Will Dorney, said:
“The quality of the facilities here now are exactly what our children and young people deserve. It shows them they’re worth it. We now have record attendance numbers.
“Also, since relocating our local Youth Club here we have noticed a huge leap in young people spending time with us, and a decrease in anti-social behavior around the community. If young people have somewhere decent to go with committed staff they can trust it’s a no brainer that they’ll come”.'
It was great to watch the finished episode showing the full transformation from start to finish and it can be found on BBC iPlayer if you wanted to have a watch!
https://www.facebook.com/SouthmeadAdventurePlayground/
It was great to receive feedback from Will Dorney, their Youth and Play Manager
“The quality of the facilities here now are exactly what our children and young people deserve. It shows them they’re worth it. We now have record attendance numbers. Also, since relocating our local Youth Club here we have noticed a huge leap in young people spending time with us, and a decrease in anti-social behaviour around the community. If young people have somewhere decent to go with committed staff they can trust it’s a no brainer that they’ll come”.
You fin dout more here: https://southmead.org/news/media-release-southmeads-time-to-shine-bbc-diy-sos
