Play provisions at a Harrogate nursery are “ten thousand times better”, thanks to a major grant from North Yorkshire County Council Grant.
The Academy Childcare and Party Zone, on Oakdale Place, secured £10,000 from the authority’s Early Years and Childcare Services, to give its outdoor play area a facelift.
Academy Childcare Assistant Louise Styan with Sydney Weaver, Isabella Bickerdike, Cheyenne Southern, Louise Styan, Ben Fieldhouse and Gabriella Bickerdike in the newly extended outdoor play area
In addition to a total refurbishment, the playground has been extended to include a story corner, digging area, messy area, “clatter bridge to nowhere”, vegetable patch and water feature – enabling it to open its doors to non members too.
Academy Managing Director Philippa Shackleton said: “We are very grateful to North Yorkshire County Council for helping us create a superb facility for the children to use.
“Children love playing outside and the new additions to the play area are proving very popular indeed. Once they have finished digging and clattering, they can then sit in the story corner and read books.
“At The Academy we are committed to continually improving our facilities, be it to the fitness areas, tennis courts or our Childcare and Party Zone. This helps us maintain our position as one of Yorkshire’s leading health and fitness clubs.”
Julia Lowery, North Yorkshire County Council’s Early Years and Childcare Manager said: “Children nowadays do not get to play outdoors as much as they should and can seriously be disadvantaged if they don’t get the opportunity to do so.
“The outdoors offers experiences that you cannot provide indoors such as the natural environment, the Great British weather, the space and outdoor activities such as gardening, digging in the soil and playing in the sand.”
