ONE of Swansea’s busiest and most vibrant community centres – the Phoenix Centre in Townhill – is celebrating the addition of a fantastic new play area for local children thanks to the local council.
The play area features slides, swings roundabouts and accessible play equipment for disabled youngsters.
Now the community has got together to celebrate its official opening by council leader Rob Stewart, supported by local children who were delighted to show him around.
Cllr Stewart said, “We can see from the enthusiasm and energy of local children just how much they love this new addition to the Phoenix Centre – a really popular community hub for the people of Townhill that includes a council library and an all-weather pitch and floodlights.
“The play area has got lots of brilliant features including sensory play panels, a wheelchair carousel and accessible stairs and climbing net. Everyone can enjoy the facilities.”
The official opening of the play area in Townhill brings to more than 50 neighbourhoods around the city to have benefited from the council’s £7m play areas renewal project that typically include facilities for disabled youngsters such as flush roundabouts, wide slides, basket swings and communication boards.
Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said, “The council is really proud of the huge effort our contractors and council teams have put in to develop free community play areas all around the city.
“The council was inspired to make what is the most significant investment in decades in play areas because of how popular they were during the pandemic, not just as an opportunity for youngsters for safe outdoor play but also for parents and carers to come along and socialise as well.”
Robert Francis-Davies, Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism, said: “We want to support as many accessible play opportunities as possible in local communities. That’s why we’ve consulted with parents, carers and disabled children’s advocates on what they would like to see in their local play areas.”
He added, “We made our play areas pledge a council policy commitment because we saw just how important they were to young families and children as a free place to go during the cost of living crisis.
“Our views are backed up by play charities and other organisations who say it’s critically-important for children’s mental as physical health that they have access to safe, quality places to play and socialise with friends and family.”
Since the start of the play areas programme communities across Swansea have seen investment in areas including Mayhill, West Cross, Garnswllt, Bonymaen, Mawr, Grovesend, Penclawdd, Brynmill, Morriston, Clydach and Birchgrove.
The new-land was officially launched on March 13.
To find out more about the council’s biggest ever investment in play areas go to: http://www.bit.ly/PlayAreas7m
The new-look Phoenix facility first threw open its gates to local youngsters just before Christmas,
