Latest news with #adventureplay
The Sun
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Popular English tourist attraction in huge £5million cash injection as work begins on building massive play area
A POPULAR English tourist attraction has received a huge £5million cash injection as work begins on building a massive adventure play area. The new 132,000sq ft area aims to blend into the natural landscape and support children's development through play. 4 4 4 Birdworld currently stands on a 26-acre park and is home to thousands of birds from penguins and owls to flamingos, as part of ongoing conservation work. Recently, the attraction had their plans approved to undergo a £40million renovation project that will create three huge play zones. Inside will be a 1,500 square foot play area - this will be one of the biggest indoor play zones in the UK. It will be set out in interconnected colourful birdhouses with lots slides, tunnels and nets to crawl across. But the Surrey tourist attraction is set to significantly improve and expand its facilities thanks to a multi million pound deal with HSBC UK. Birdworld in Farnham, part of the Haskins Group, will use the seven-figure funding package to build a multi-purpose adventure play area within its existing site. The outside overhaul will include a water zone 'inspired by bird baths' with fountains and wooden troughs for kids to play in. The play area will also feature low-level log seating and staggered wooden platforms with water pumps, decorated with sculpted leaves and branches. There will also be spiral climbing nets, connecting bridges, alongside an indoor play barn equipped with slides and puzzle boards. The project will also put inclusivity first, incorporating accessible pathways and play features to accommodate all abilities, including wheelchair users, alongside sensory play elements reports SurreyLive. The new Wizard of Oz themed land at Gulliver's World It is hoped to increase annual visitor numbers by 65,000 per annum, supporting the attraction's long-term viability and protecting the future of the animals and staff. The plans also include the demolition and replacement of the neighbouring Forest Lodge Garden Centre with an improved and more energy-efficient building. Matt Hill, development director at Birdworld and Haskins Forest Lodge Farnham, said: 'We want Birdworld to be a place of wonder and learning for all families, so we are extremely grateful to have the support of HSBC UK, who believed in our vision to bring this development to fruition. "Together, we're not only creating new opportunities for the community and our guests, but also securing a sustainable future for Birdworld, its animals and our team.' Andy Farmer, corporate relationship director at HSBC UK, added: 'This funding was a natural fit as it showcases how thoughtful investments can create meaningful impact. "It's rewarding to see the funding package facilitate a venture that combines community enrichment and business expansion. "We look forward to seeing Matt and the team continue to drive the business forward.' Elsewhere, a seaside town in the UK has revealed plans to revamp its huge playground, which is the largest free adventure play park in the South East. Plus a huge new adventure playground has opened in the grounds of a historic country house in Leeds with climbing towers, zip-lines and slides. And a UK seaside resort once dubbed a "social mobility coldspot" has been given a major boost after securing nearly £20m of government investment. North Yorkshire Council said £19.5m had been allocated to Scarborough as part of the government's Plan for Neighbourhoods scheme. Also another popular seaside resort town could see its biggest demolition and redevelopment since the 1980s. The demolition would see a shopping centre partially stripped for an £11 million project in the centre of the " Queen of English Riviera". The Union Square shopping centre in Torquay is facing having nine of its shops demolished if planning permission is granted by the council. 4
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Renovations to seafront play area set to go ahead
A £750,000 revamp of one of Kent's largest free adventure play areas is set to move forward. Folkestone & Hythe District Council's (FHDC) cabinet will meet on Wednesday to approve a further £191,000 for the children's play areas in Folkestone's Lower Leas coastal park which are "at the end of their life". The funding comes on top of the £559,000 already allocated to the project. Councillor Connor McConville, cabinet member for assets at FHDC, said he was "delighted we can invest this money into a much-needed makeover". The play areas were "of exceptional quality when installed" in 2000 and attract hundreds of thousands every year, council papers say. "Due to the coastal environment, extensive tree cover and the sand safety surfacing wearing the timbers, the equipment, now 24 years old, is beyond economical maintenance and repair," the recent report adds. The play areas consists of seven timber towers, formerly all connected by bridges, rope, nets and tunnels. But in recent years parts of the park, including a bridge which goes between two towers over a footpath, have been removed because they "deteriorated beyond economical repair", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The park has already had some upgrades in recent years, with the original shipwreck area replaced with a timber pirate ship in 2022. In 2023 a new concessions kiosk and toilet block were also opened. Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Residents' views sought on new park play area Scheme to transform town centre given start date Folkestone & Hythe District Council
BBC News
18-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Renovations to Folkestone seafront play area set to go ahead
A £750,000 revamp of one of Kent's largest free adventure play areas is set to move & Hythe District Council's (FHDC) cabinet will meet on Wednesday to approve a further £191,000 for the children's play areas in Folkestone's Lower Leas coastal park which are "at the end of their life".The funding comes on top of the £559,000 already allocated to the project. Councillor Connor McConville, cabinet member for assets at FHDC, said he was "delighted we can invest this money into a much-needed makeover". The play areas were "of exceptional quality when installed" in 2000 and attract hundreds of thousands every year, council papers say."Due to the coastal environment, extensive tree cover and the sand safety surfacing wearing the timbers, the equipment, now 24 years old, is beyond economical maintenance and repair," the recent report play areas consists of seven timber towers, formerly all connected by bridges, rope, nets and in recent years parts of the park, including a bridge which goes between two towers over a footpath, have been removed because they "deteriorated beyond economical repair", according to the Local Democracy Reporting park has already had some upgrades in recent years, with the original shipwreck area replaced with a timber pirate ship in 2023 a new concessions kiosk and toilet block were also opened.
