Aeropark play area has Take Off!
RAF Lyneham
Community Development Worker
Story by Lisa Mitchell
17th May 2008
The long-awaited new play area in Lyneham - the Aeropark - has finally opened!  Charlotte Balfour, aged 6, held the honour of cutting the ribbon at 2pm after beating 77 other entries to win the Lyneham Play Area Naming Competition, organised by Lisa Mitchell, RAF Lyneham’s Community Development Worker.

Lisa worked in partnership with Lyneham & Bradenstoke Parish Council and North Wiltshire District Council for over a year to help make the community’s dream of a fantastic new play area a reality.

The Aeropark is aptly named as it boasts a piece of brightly-coloured aeroplane play equipment for toddlers to play on, a springy helicopter and a cartoon RAF Hercules aircraft on the colourful wetpour flooring.  The new facility also offers a variety of exciting equipment like multi-use play frames for different ages, swings, a zip slide, springy see-saws, balancing beams, bike ramps and outdoor fitness equipment.

The play area cost a total of £150,000.  Viridor Credits distributes the Landfill Communities Fund in Wiltshire through Community First, and half of the cost, an amazing £75,000, was met by the landfill company Viridor Credits, £50,000 is on it’s way from the National Lottery’s Big Lottery Fund, via North Wiltshire District Council, and the RAF Central Fund was happy to add £15,000 to the venture.  The final £10,000 came from Lyneham & Bradenstoke Parish Council, who have actively supported the development of child and youth facilities in the Parish, and who have even developed an extensive Play Strategy to support this and future developments.

A group of local teens even turned up a few hours early to offer their help with washing down the equipment in preparation for the big event.  Callum Brown (13) Tom Adam (12) Ashley Gallop (14)  and Connor Watkins (14) called over the fencing offering their assistance, and duly got stuck in with cloths, brushes and water to make everything spick and span before the 2pm ribbon cutting.

Hundreds of local children, teenagers and their parents turned out on the overcast afternoon, their excitement not dampened by the less than glorious weather.  The anticipation was tangible as the 2 o’clock ribbon cutting drew closer, and after Charlotte cut the ribbon the delighted children rushed forwards en masse to try out their new equipment for the very first time!

North Wiltshire District Councillor, Sarah Still, commented, “I’ve come to the Opening of the Aeropark today, and I think it’s absolutely brilliant!  All the children are thoroughly enjoying themselves.  There’s equipment here for all ages and it seems very popular - I’m sure it will continue to be so”.

Five year old Charlotte Vickery from Lyneham said, “I really like it!  it’s fun and exciting and there’s lots of things to play on”.

Megan Harvey, age 8, from Bradenstoke beamed, “I think it’s really cool!”

Lyneham resident Claire Green, 11, out of breath with excitement, exclaimed, “The Aeropark is really good and there’s loads of things to do here!”  Mum Christine Green added, “It’s a great place for local parents to meet with their children - a real focal point for the Lyneham community which is also great fun”.

Local parent Rachel Wickens commented, “This is great - I’ll certainly save a lot of petrol driving backwards and forwards to Lydiard Park now!”

Lyneham parent Neil LeMoine felt “It’s a wonderful new facility for the whole of Lyneham Village to enjoy”.

Fourteen-year-old Ashley Gallop grinned, “it’s the best park in Lyneham and it always will be!”

The play area opening will be the pinnacle of more than a year of hard graft by Lisa Mitchell, for years, the residents of Lyneham have complained bitterly that there are no decent play areas in the village for their children to play in.  The existing play areas are old, dilapidated and languish in disrepair.  That has started to change, as the community eagerly anticipated the opening of the Aeropark, a brand new play area close to the centre of Lyneham.

This exiting play area, suppliements the Youth Shelter and Goal Post scheme, already sited in Slessor Road Park. Both these facilities were generated by Lyneham's Youth Entertainment & Leisure in Lyneham (YELL) team and actively supported by Lisa Mitchell, RAF Lyneham’s Community Development Worker. Without the painstaking efforts, enterprise and desire of all the teams, supported by local funding we would not have these excellent leisure facilities.

After holding Public Meetings about the issue, conducting Play Area Questionnaires with parents, children and young people and gathering key evidence to support the need for play area development, Lisa Mitchell worked in partnership with Lyneham & Bradenstoke Parish Council, North Wiltshire District Council and Community First to help make the community’s dream a reality.

Prior to the official opening local councillor Allison Bucknell said: "This is going to be a state of the art play park, with something for all ages, designed by, with, and for the people of Lyneham, which will generate a high level of interest from surrounding areas

"We really hope that we do not suffer the wanton and mindless vandalism that often happens to play areas in other parts of the district.

"This can be a shining example of how the community can love and respect their local amenities."

Lisa Mitchell, Community Development Worker at RAF Lyneham, said, “The Aeropark is a prime example of what can be achieved when local residents take the time to voice their views and get involved in community projects, and organisations work in partnership together to meet the expressed needs of the local community."

"This new play area will be a fantastic facility for Lyneham & Bradenstoke’s children and young people, and will have a huge positive impact on this community for many years to come.”

Feedback Time
by Lisa Mitchell
I hope you like it!  This fantastic new facility is now available to you thanks to £75,000 of funding gained from Viridor Credits (via Community First); £50,000 of funding allocated from the National Lottery’s Big Lottery Fund (via North Wiltshire District Council); £15,000 granted by the RAF Central Fund and £10,000 provided by Lyneham & Bradenstoke Parish Council.  I have been working intensively on this project for more than a year to bring it to fruition, in partnership with these organisations, and now we are pleased to present you with the result of our combined efforts.

The idea for a new, central play area for the village didn’t come out of nowhere.  This play area is now in place because you - the community - raised concerns about the lack of decent play areas, attended public meetings, raised the issue with community leaders, filled in play area questionnaires, encouraged your children to fill in play area questionnaires, came to information sessions, chose a design, and supported the people who have worked to make this play area a reality!  The Aeropark is an example of what can be achieved when local people take time to express their views and get involved in community projects, groups and meetings to help make things happen, so don’t stop now – the sky is the limit!

Maintenance of the Aeropark will be undertaken by Modern Housing Solutions (MHS) on behalf of Defence Estates – any queries or concerns over maintenance or equipment faults should be reported to them on 0800 707 6000.  The signage for the Aeropark will be installed soon, and this phone number will be displayed along with the opening and closing times of the play area, which are 8am – 10pm during the summer (BST) and 8am – 8pm in the winter (GMT).  In the short period that the signs will be absent, I’d also like to remind you of the following:

No dogs in the play area
No smoking
No ball games
Cycle helmets & protective clothing should be worn when using the bike trail
All litter should be put in the bins provided
Children under 8 should be supervised at all times
No alcohol
No loitering

The Parish Council is implementing a bylaw which will mean that the police can enforce the closure times of the play area (this bylaw will also cover the rest of the play areas in Lyneham & Bradenstoke).  Although we all hope it won’t be an issue, vandalism or general anti-social behaviour can be reported to MoD Community Policeman PC Jarra Brown on 07776 493164 / 01249 890647 or, if he is unavailable, Wiltshire Constabulary or the RAF Police.

To help me compile a final report for the grant funders about this project, I would like to ask you, and your children and teenagers, to take a few moments to complete the short feedback form, so I can give some accurate information about what people think about the new play area.  It would also be really great to know your views just for my own benefit too, and so that the Parish and District Councils can also have some feedback.

Feedback Form - Download (PDF)
Please printout this feedback form and return to the address below, which is on the feedback form. Thank You.

I hope you and your children get great enjoyment out of this new community facility!

If you would like to know more about the YELL, or how you can get involved with this group and it's new projects, please contact: Lisa Mitchell, Community Development Worker, Royal Air Force Lyneham, Teal House, 20 Teal Avenue, Lyneham, Chippenham, SN15 4QA
Tel: +44(0)1249 892947
Fax/Admin Assistant: +44(0)1249 897641
Email: CDW-RAFLyneham@btconnect.com

Pictures with thanks to RAF Lyneham Photographic Section