A youth worker has called a DIY SOS project to restore a Bristol playground a ‘miracle.’
Nick Knowles and his team descended on Southmead Adventure Playground this morning (Tuesday, October 19) to begin work on the community asset, which had fallen into disrepair.
Tradespeople from across Bristol turned up to the site to start the work at 9am, which will see the ‘dilapidated’ playground repaired and new features added.
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Nick Knowles spoke of the importance of the playground for the local community this morning as he pleaded for more manpower on site.
“We’re looking for muscle, genuinely, such as a rugby team that wants to come down and join in, or if there’s an opportunity for firemen to come down and join in, or there’s an army unit nearby that might want to come and join in," he said.
The running of the playground was taken on by Southmead Development Trust recently, a resident-led charity working to improve health, wellbeing and employment; and to help keep the local community strong, resilient, and resourceful.
Lil, a youth and play worker at the playground, told Bristol Live: “It’s a miracle that we needed.
“[I’m] so touched by the amount of people that have turned up from near and far.
“The community’s buzzing from it.”
Known locally as The Ranch, the Southmead Adventure Playground, on Doncaster Road, has been loved and well-used by the community for many years.
But during coronavirus the site was targeted by vandals, and has been deemed unfit for purpose.
“With the pandemic it’s been frustrating and heartbreaking for us that work there," she said.
“You know the children have suffered from the pandemic, we all have, but the children are feeling it.
“That’s why it’s so important to have an adventure playground like this for children, because it’s great for their mental and physical health.
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"In the pandemic we had quite a bit of vandalism that kept on happening, but bored kids do silly things so hopefully they’ll have a bit more respect for the place now.
"Lots of families use the adventure playground so it means a hell of a lot."
Follow our live blog for more updates on the build.
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