Chadwell Heath children have a new state of new state of the art playground to have fun in the sun this summer.
Locals say the Tantony Green play area in Marks Gate has been transformed from a tired old boring playground into an exciting new space complete with multi-use games area, a bespoke adventure tree house with a zip wire ride, plus an outdoor gym and a picnic area.
The redeveloped playground was the brainchild of community group, North Meets South, and delivered by Be First, Barking and Dagenham Council’s regeneration company.
The idea was generated after North Meets South identified the need to improve parks and open spaces in the area.
Tina Franklin, North Meets South Steering Group member, said: “North Meets South is delighted to invite you to the opening of the Tantony Green park redevelopment. This transformed space is a testament to what residents can achieve if they are given a voice and are empowered to work together to build a better future with funders and the council.”
Cllr Siama Ashraf, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement, who attended the fun day, said: “I hope this great new play area gives years of fun to local youngsters. They certainly looked like they were having fun in the sun today!”
Tom Mather of Be First, who managed the building of the new play area said: “Be First is not all about bricks and mortar, we’re about building communities with great facilities and fun places too!”
North Meets South consulted the community between 2016 and 2018 to find out what local people wanted in order to make the project a reality.
North Meets South invested £130,000 of Big Local funding, and wrote a successful bid for a further £74,950 from Veolia Environmental Trust, for the project.
An additional £31,000 was invested into the scheme by the Council to ensure it was completed in time for the summer holidays.
Notes for editors:
North Meets South is the Big Local for Marks Gate and north Chadwell Heath.
Big Local is a community funder. It is funded by £1 million over 10 years from the Community Fund (formerly Big Lottery Fund) and managed by Local Trust.
