Children of all abilities can now enjoy a new accessible bouncer at Beacon Park following the completion of its installation as part of our continued investment in inclusive play.
The new play equipment was funded through the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) in support of our Clean and Green programme, alongside support from two corporate sponsors, Jetts 24hr gym and The Rotary Lichfield St Chad, through the Boosting Beacon campaign.
Designed to be accessible to a wider range of children, the bouncer creates more opportunities for families to play together and enjoy one of the district’s most popular parks.
Grace Riley, aged 15, cut the ribbon to officially open the bouncer in the children’s play area. Grace, who has Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, uses a wheelchair and enjoyed trying the new equipment out herself.
Grace said:
“I really like the new bouncer in Beacon Park. It’s really fun and it feels like when I was younger before this arthritis got this bad.
“Now I can finally go trampolining again.”
The installation forms part of the council’s ongoing investment in several of our parks in the district including Beacon Park, which has also seen improvements to play facilities, landscaping and visitor experiences in recent years.
Councillor Phil Whitehouse, Cabinet Member for Operational Services, Parks and Waste, said:
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy all of our parks, and creating more inclusive play spaces is an important part of that commitment. The new accessible bouncer is a fantastic addition to Beacon Park and means even more children can play together, regardless of their abilities.
“We’re grateful to everyone who helped make this possible through UK Shared Prosperity Funding and the support of our corporate sponsors. It is another example of how partnerships are helping us continue to invest in high-quality parks and green spaces across the district.”
Michael Mullarkey, President of The Rotary Club of Lichfield St Chad, said:
“We are pleased to give a donation towards this new piece of accessible play equipment in Beacon Park and we hope children will enjoy using it.”
The accessible bouncer is now open and available for families to enjoy in Beacon Park.