New play area for Hammersmith's children

Over 100 people attended the launch of the newly built play area on Queen Caroline estate in Hammersmith on Thursday 16 June, where the Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham, Councillor Frances Stainton, cut a ribbon to declare the play area officially open. 

The new playground provides a much-needed facility, with the previous ageing playground struggling to cater for the local children. The design was informed by extensive consultation undertaken by Groundwork London with estate residents and children from St Paul's Primary School. The area has been transformed from a square of concrete containing out-of-date play equipment to a natural playscape with challenging equipment aimed at 6-13 year olds. The exciting features include a large timber play climbing frame with a slide, a group basket swing and toddler swings and a jumping disc for younger children. The landscape gets kids active outdoors and is completed with boulders, timber seating and a picnic bench as well as new planting, turf and recycled bark mulch safety surfacing.

Shirley Cupit, Chair of the Queen Caroline Tenants and Residents Association said: “I love the big swing, the playground is really creative. There’s loads that’s really great here and the kids really enjoy.”

In addition to playing on the new equipment, children enjoyed games and activities including cupcake decorating and everyone had an opportunity to contribute to the feedback tree over a tasty cream tea. Guests then enjoyed a special celebration cake cut by The Mayor, designed to resemble the play area.

Claire Eddington who lives on the estate attended the event with her three children Kasey (9), Chelsea (8) and Amy (5) said: “The new play area is great and a safe place where my children can play.”

Moira Herring, Community Projects Officer at Groundwork London, commented: “This has been a fantastic project, brought to life by the enthusiasm and drive of the local community. This playground has always been well used and we hope that in its new and vibrant form it will become only more so; children’s play is a massive part of community life at Queen Caroline and so we hope the new playground will provide a focus for community activities for many years to come.”

Cllr Andrew Johnson, Cabinet Member for Housing said: "This is a terrific new play area, but what impresses me most is the committed group of residents who have worked with the Council and Groundwork London to come up with this excellent scheme.  Groundwork has delivered dozens of schemes across the borough but it is the residents who bring these projects to life. I hope as many people as possible will get involved with their tenants and residents associations when they see the kind of results it can bring."

The event also marked the beginning of another project on the estate for which the Residents Association has successfully applied for and been awarded funding: the introduction of food growing activities and a sustainable herb garden, and the revamping of the Hammersmith Bridge Road entrance to the ‘lift’ the estate.

The new playground was made possible by funding from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham’s Housing Estates Improvement Programme (HEIP), which residents approached for funding having identified the need for work to the playground themselves. The new project has also been awarded funding through this scheme. The HEIP programme has been running for 12 years as a partnership between Groundwork London and Hammersmith and Fulham Homes/The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and to date has seen over 100 improvement projects on open spaces on estate and sheltered housing schemes across the Borough.  Additional funding for the children's workshops came from the BIG Lottery Fund.  The playground was designed by Groundwork London’s landscape architects and constructed by R&J Landscapes Ltd.