As you may have seen, the play area at Portswood Rec has had two large pieces of equipment removed. This has created a big empty space and left users, particularly older children, with very limited equipment to use. The Friends of Portswood Rec group has been working hard behind the scenes to find ways to secure new replacement equipment.

We have been delighted by the amount of community support so far - whether that be through donations to this page, attending our quiz night, fundraisers at the local school or helping to spread the word. Thank you everyone.

Our initial plan was to apply for a Landfill Communities Fund grant, and to use our fundraised money as seed funding for this. After a lot of hard work we submitted a really strong application. However, in a climate where grants are in high demand, we made it through to the final round but were ultimately unsuccessful.

Nevertheless, we have not stopped forming plans and ideas to secure the funds we need. There are smaller pots of money we can apply for which are currently underway. But we still need to push for further donations which will contribute to seed funding (needed for all Landfill Community grants) and also towards the cost of the play equipment itself. As a group, we are as passionate as ever to ensure the play area gets back to it's best and provides local families with the equipment they deserve. If you can help by donating, it is very much appreciated and all money is ring fenced to be spent solely on the play park.

We hope that you've visited Portswood Rec and made good use of the play area in the past. If you haven't, then local families are lucky to have this little gem within the community, full of beautiful old trees and far away enough from busy roads to feel safe and clean. It sits directly next to Portswood Primary School and, after school, the children spill out into the play park and it’s filled with fun and laughter. Unfortunately, it is looking woeful after the equipment was taken down.

Play areas with high-quality, durable playground equipment for children has many benefits. It allows for children to engage in active play, develop physical coordination and strength, and have fun with their peers. We saw during the pandemic how beneficial playgrounds are at providing a place to get outdoors and socialise and how much impact it had when these spaces are taken away. We don't want to leave Portswood Rec with a sub-standard play area.

Many thanks,

Friends of Portswood Rec