Issue details

To award a grant of £10,000 to Nettleden with Potten End Parish Council

In the Spring round 2021 a community grant application was made from Nettleden with Potten End Parish Council which has received approval at the grants panel meeting on 10 June.

The Parish Countil plan to replace the existing playground equipment on the Spencer Holland green with a new innovative playground to excite children of all ages and abilities. The design will encourage imaginative and adventure play while challenging balance and agility. The playground is an essential part of village life and a social hub for the local community

The current equipment is in a poor state of repair and may well fail its annual safety inspection which is due. After 40 years service some of the equipment no longer meets the safety requirements of a modern playground, it is also biased towards the needs of older children and makes no allowance for children with additional needs.  In addition the whole area also needs fencing off to keep the children safe and the dogs out. 

To keep the costs down the Parish Council plan to renovate and enhance the existing playground.  The slide and the two sets of swings will be repainted and the damaged wet pour replaced. A new basket swing which can be used by disabled children will provide more inclusivity which the current playground does not offer. There will be a new playcastle for under 7s that includes sensory activities for children of all abilities. A new free form climber for the over 7s and a new see saw will complete the scheme. The climbing frames will be on new wet pour whilst the other equipment will be on grow through matting to save on costs. A picket fence will enclose the entire area.

Total project cost £40,055.82

Funding:

£10,000 DBC grant

£20,055.82 own resources and fundraising

£10,000 grant funding from locality budget, Tesco Bags of Help and National Lottery Awards.

Background

The Parish Council exists to represent the views of the residents of Nettleden with Potten End Parish. They provide Local Government services to residents, manage allotments, a burial ground, a sports field and a recreation area. The Parish Council is responsible for managing their own budget, which is used to improve facilities and services for local people.

The Parish Council have applied for a grant from the Community Grants Scheme to match the funding they have allocated from their own resources, as well as their fundraising efforts and the grants they have applied for from other organisations.

The proposed improvements to the recreation ground at Spencer Holland green will improve access for children with mobility issues as well as improving the facilities available for younger children. They are proposing to introduce a new fence for the play area, which will improve the safety of the area, keeping dogs away from young children. The Parish Council have also explored the most cost-effective ways of making these improvements.

The application was assessed through the Community Grant Scheme, which is specifically set up to support Community, Voluntary, Arts and Sporting groups that benefit the residents of Dacorum.  There are three rounds of Community Grant funding per financial year.  Charities are invited to apply for funding and the applications are assessed by a panel of officers, who will be looking at how well it meets the criteria of the fund; whether the project supports the Councils objectives and how it supports the following five ways to well-being: be active, take notice, learn, give and connect.