We are delighted that Gloucester Gate Playground has been shortlisted for a Landscape Institute Award in the Excellence in Public Health and Wellbeing category.

The Royal Parks appointed LUC to create an exemplar playground to push the boundaries of play opportunities for children of all ages and abilities.

The announcement coincides with the playground’s formal celebration event, which took place yesterday. Members of the local community and representatives from The Royal Parks and The London Marathon Charitable Trust were in attendance.

The Royal Parks’ Play Programme team hosted activities for local children, utilising the newly-built zip wire, water pumps and dams, sandpit, and tunnel slide. The activity programme adopts a child-led approach that aims to break down some of the barriers associated with play.

According to LUC’s monitoring and evaluation study, visits to the playground have risen by 50% since project completion. In addition, over 80% of children now spend 40 minutes or more in the space.

Andrew Scattergood, Chief Executive of The Royal Parks charity, said:

“We are immensely proud of this inclusive, imaginative and nature-inspired playground… Since the playground opened to the public last autumn, we have received over a quarter of a million visits.”

Catherine Anderson, Executive Director of The London Marathon Charitable Trust, commented:

“The London Marathon Charitable Trust’s mission is to Inspire Activity, and we know this fantastic new playground will do just that for thousands of children and their families! Inclusive and engaging play spaces like Gloucester Gate Playground [are] vital in helping children develop an active lifestyle.”

We look forward to the online Landscape Institute Awards ceremony on Thursday 25 November.

LUC is passionate about play, and about increasing public access to quality play landscapes. There is now a substantial evidence-base for the positive benefits that access to nature and outdoor exercise has on our health and wellbeing.

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