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Cheltenham playground plans overhaul to become fully accessible for wheelchair users
Overview
Leckhampton Rovers FC is raising funds to revamp the old playground at Burrow's Field in Cheltenham, aiming to install wheelchair-accessible equipment so that all children can play together. Led by trustee Mark Beaney, the project has raised £100,000 of its £220,000 goal, bolstered by events like a recent 12-hour sponsored swingathon. Local parents and physiotherapists have praised the initiative, highlighting how standard parks currently exclude children with mobility needs like quadriplegic cerebral palsy.
Key points
- The playground at Burrow's Field in Cheltenham is set to be replaced with accessible equipment for wheelchair users.
- Leckhampton Rovers FC trustee Mark Beaney started planning the scheme in January, aiming for an opening next year.
- The project requires £220,000 in total, with £100,000 already raised through community fundraising efforts, including a recent £1,600 swingathon.
- Proposed designs feature wheelchair-accessible climbing areas, trampolines, roundabouts, and seesaws, alongside sensory and motion play areas.
- Local parent Fahren Peach noted that standard playgrounds are currently inaccessible for her son Freddie, who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy.