Wester Hailes Growing Communities has received funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund to build an adventure playground in the Greenway between Murrayburn and Hailesland.
The playground is set to include a rock scramble area, tyre obstacle course, and a climbing frame.
The funding has a time limit of March 2026 so If construction goes smoothly, the park should be ready by then.
Details on the construction from the Wester Hailes Growing Communities website.
Being as we have very little time to deliver the playground we are going to base the design on the consultations we carried out in 2019-20, and some amazing playgrounds we have visited in Dundee (see photos), which use ‘Robinia’ wood which is very long lasting and makes amazing shapes. There will be a ‘flying fox’, swings, climbing structures etc. We will be looking to involve local children in further discussions about the designs. We will be looking to create opportunities for young adults to participate in Growing Youth workshops to help build the playground, we will provide more information on this as soon as we have it.
We are to contract local Robin Wood a play designer and builder to work with us and volunteers to community self-build the adventure playground. Robin is an amazing wood sculptor and has created some imaginative works around the Lothians (see his website). Robin also works for Edinburgh Council repairing play grounds across the city and so knows what the Council will accept.
The adventure playground will be open 24/7. We haven’t decided whether we will put a fence around it to keep out dogs. Once completed, we intend to raise funds to hire a play worker who will support activities like loose parts play and children with additional needs, materials will be stored in the ‘Natural Play’ shed in the Greenway Garden.
The playground will be on Council land and we intend for the Council to ‘adopt’ the playground and so be responsible for its maintenance. We will need to make sure the playground is safe and meets the Council’s standards for design and build. We hope that ultimately, the Council will contract Wester Hailes Growers to maintain the playground and we will continue to repair and improve it.
The playground will hopefully act as a homage to the much loved and remembered Venchie.
